Family Shocked After Funeral Home Allegedly Displays Wrong Body in Casket of 80-Year-Old Otis Adkinson

A grieving family in Compton, California, is suing a funeral home after arriving to say their final goodbyes—only to find a stranger in the casket wearing their loved one’s clothes.

Amentha Hunt, the niece of Otis Adkinson, says her family was devastated when they walked into Harrison-Ross Mortuary and saw a man they didn’t recognize dressed in her late uncle’s suit.

“It was a guy laying there in my uncle’s suit, but it wasn’t my uncle,” she told KCAL News. “That shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t make arrangements there to see the wrong body.”

The family says that when they raised the issue with staff, a funeral home employee insisted they were mistaken and that the man in the casket was Otis. It wasn’t until Amentha showed a photo of her uncle that the staff admitted an error had been made.

Mix-Up Caused Trauma

The mortuary reportedly took three hours to correct the mistake and place the real Otis Adkinson in the casket for viewing. But the emotional damage had already been done.

“It hurts. I still think about it. That image of the wrong man in my uncle’s suit—I still see that guy,” Amentha said.

The family has now filed a lawsuit against Harrison-Ross Mortuary. Their attorney, Elvis Tran, called the situation “outrageous” and said it highlighted a failure in basic care.

“To deny it was the wrong body until they were shown proof—this should never happen,” Tran stated. “This shows a clear need for procedural change so no other family has to suffer this kind of trauma.”

Funeral Home Response

Harrison-Ross Mortuary has denied the claims and says it is preparing to file a cease-and-desist letter against Amentha Hunt.

Remembering Otis Adkinson

Otis Adkinson passed away on February 28, 2025, at age 80. A Memphis native, he spent 29 years working as an EMT for Southern California’s Schaefer Ambulance Service, eventually becoming a supervisor. His family described him as a “good ole country boy” who loved fishing, barbecuing, dancing, and watching the LA Lakers.