In Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, families are facing uncertainty over the possibility that they did not bury the actual ashes of their deceased loved ones. Despite the availability of DNA testing technology, experts suggest that positively identifying the remains may be challenging.
Recently, families who utilized the services of the former Serenity Funeral Home were notified by the new ownership that ashes belonging to their deceased family members were discovered in storage.
One of the affected families is that of Michelle Carey, who arranged the funeral of her father, Hendrik (Hank) Sabean, through Serenity in 2018. With the uncertainty surrounding the identity of the remains they buried, Carey expresses skepticism about the possibility of ever confirming their loved one’s identity through DNA testing.
Dean Hildebrand, overseeing the forensic DNA laboratory at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, explains the challenges of extracting sufficient DNA from ashes for identification purposes.
Although trace amounts of DNA can sometimes be detected in ashes, Hildebrand emphasizes the difficulty of utilizing such DNA for identification purposes.
Despite the resilience of DNA in various scenarios, such as fire incidents, the extreme conditions of a crematorium lead to the complete breakdown of organic matter.
Hildebrand acknowledges the complexity of identifying remains mixed up in cases involving other funeral homes, particularly given the significant number of remains in this instance, as reported by the new owners, East Coast Memorial.
While the chances of successful identification are slim, Hildebrand remains hopeful that testing could yield useful DNA, even from small bone fragments.
Hendrik (Hank) Sabean was 67 when he died in 2018. He had specific wishes for his funeral arrangements, which included dealing with Serenity Funeral Home for the service and burial of his ashes. (Amanda Sabean)
Expressing cautious optimism, Carey mentions the possibility of identifying the remains through a small metal disc with an ID number that may have been present in the buried ashes
