When people pass away, they have one of three options for their remains — in-ground burial, above-ground vault, or cremation. But even if a baby invitro doesn’t make it to full term, the parents can choose one of the same three options. If they go with cremation, the funeral home places the ashes inside of an urn.
Losing a loved one is never easy, especially when it involves a child. Parents who’ve experienced this agree that children should never die before them. Sadly, life doesn’t always follow the rules. For one mother, not only did her son Jacob not make it to full term but also, someone stole his ashes.
One mother’s life was turned upside down on April 13, 2012
That was the day her beloved son, Jacob Carter, died. Melissa is a single mother of another son, Mason. Together, they live in Tacoma Washington. She carried Jacob in her stomach for six months but then something went wrong. While there was never a live birth, he was still a viable baby, one she loved with all her heart.
Tragedy strikes yet again.
On December 29 after returning home, Melissa immediately noticed something was amiss. Not only was the inside of her house cold but some of the doors were standing wide open. Strangely, nothing of value was taken, not the television, computer, or even recently-opened Christmas presents. That’s when she noticed the door to her son’s room had been totally destroyed.
Things only got worse.
She then realized someone had broken into her house. Upon further inspection of her son’s room, she saw the screen window had been cut. Then she noticed her most prized possession missing…the heart-shaped urn that contained Jacob’s ashes.
When, who, and most importantly, why?
Melissa explained that as soon as she realized what the intruders took, she went into a complete panic. Feeling sick, she called 911. The officers checked everything. Besides Jacob’s ashes and a few small pieces of her jewelry, the only other missing item was Mason’s piggy bank. With nothing to go on, a forensics officer went to Melissa’s home the following day. Even that inspection only yielded a single fingerprint.
They searched everywhere but the urn was gone.
Melissa told the officers, “I immediately noticed that someone had gone through my dresser. The urn of my son, Jacob, was in there, along with all of my jewelry, and I noticed that the lid was off. All but a couple of small necklaces were gone.”
They searched everywhere but the urn was gone.
Melissa told the officers, “I immediately noticed that someone had gone through my dresser. The urn of my son, Jacob, was in there, along with all of my jewelry, and I noticed that the lid was off. All but a couple of small necklaces were gone.” Plus, the urn.
Today, the burglary case is ongoing. Wendy Harrow, the lead investigator, said, “It’s obviously heartbreaking for this mother.” Melissa shared that she feels so broken. “I don’t care about the jewelry. I don’t care at all if I get any of it back. I just care about that urn.”
They’re still searching.
Melissa, along with members of her family, continue to raise awareness about Jacob’s missing ashes. They’ve even posted to a local group, with the message shared over 16,000 times.
Jeanette Guddat Haggerty, Melissa’s mom, said they’re all devastated but appreciative of how kind everyone’s been. Hopefully, the person or persons who stole the urn will realize what it contained and return it.
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Source: Today
