Wife Sues Aiken Funeral Homes After Husband’s Body is Wrongfully Cremated

Two funeral homes and the Aiken County coroner's office wrongfully cremated Charles Taylor without checking his ID or getting permission.

On Aug. 5, 2025, Taylor's wife, Colleen McGlen, filed a court case in Aiken County. She's taking on the county coroner's office, Folk Funeral Home, and George Funeral Home and Cremation Center for cremating her husband's body after he passed away on June 23, 2025.

"This was very unfortunate, and we are deeply remorseful to the family of the deceased," the coroner's office told the Post and Courier.

The mix-up started when staff picked up the wrong body. The coroner had asked for a woman's remains, but workers took Taylor instead. Things got worse when George Funeral Home sent Taylor's body to Folk Funeral Home. Both places failed to check identification marks or get proper permits before burning the remains.

McGlen wanted doctors to perform an autopsy on her husband's body because of the unexpected nature of his passing. No one asked questions or acquired the proper permits before completing the cremation.

The next day, officials realized their mistake. They quickly told the Coroner's Association, Funeral Directors, and Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.

McGlen claims the mix up points to negligence. She says it was a careless mistake, considering her husband was a different race and gender from the body that was supposed to be cremated.

While McGlen has official death papers now, she can't prove the ashes are her husband's. Her attorney stayed quiet when asked about the case.