Current:Home > reviewsA body in an open casket in a suburban Detroit park prompts calls to police -WealthRoots Academy
A body in an open casket in a suburban Detroit park prompts calls to police
View
Date:2025-04-12 15:04:10
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — A suburban Detroit park with baseball fields, a playground and picnic tables had an unusual addition this week: an open casket containing the body of a 97-year-old woman who used to live in the area.
Police in Warren fielded calls from curious residents, especially after a photo was posted Tuesday on social media. Some people wondered if it was a very early Halloween prank. Officials said plans for the viewing at Butcher Park weren’t disclosed ahead of time.
Madonna Stiller’s family said they simply wanted to honor her before her burial that day in Detroit. A viewing at a local funeral home apparently wasn’t possible after the body was transported to Michigan. She died in Wellsville, New York, on Aug. 29.
“The funeral director temporarily situated the casket in the park so that the deceased’s family members could say their final goodbyes prior to her burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery,” police said Thursday.
A photo on Facebook showed an open casket and a spray of flowers under large leafy trees. A man sat nearby at a picnic table.
“We just wanted to honor my mother,” Stiller’s son, Ken Stiller, told The Macomb Daily. “We didn’t mean to cause any problems and didn’t mean for it to be in the newspaper.”
City officials said a park can’t automatically be a place for open caskets.
“We would ask that the public please contact City Hall or the Police Department in advanced if requesting a viewing at a city park so that we can ensure the necessary protocols are respected,” police said.
veryGood! (9823)
Related
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Team USA to face plenty of physicality as it seeks eighth consecutive gold
- Lands’ End 75% off Sale Includes Stylish Summer Finds, Swimwear & More, Starting at $11
- Fencer wins Ukraine's first Olympic medal in Paris. 'It's for my country.'
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Israeli Olympians' safety must be top priority after another sick antisemitic display
- Mississippi’s capital city is catching up on paying overdue bills, mayor says
- Olympics 2024: Brazilian Gymnast Flavia Saraiva Competes With Black Eye After Scary Fall
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Illinois sheriff, whose deputy killed Sonya Massey apologizes: ‘I offer up no excuses’
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Income gap between Black and white US residents shrank between Gen Xers and millennials, study says
- 2024 Olympics: Gymnast Frederick Richard's Parents Deserve a Medal for Their Reaction to His Routine
- One Extraordinary Olympic Photo: Christophe Ena captures the joy of fencing gold at the Paris Games
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins roar through impressive sets after rain hits tour opener
- 'Ugly': USA women's basketball 3x3 must find chemistry after losing opener
- Israeli Olympians' safety must be top priority after another sick antisemitic display
Recommendation
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney and Wife Hannah Billingsley Expecting Baby No. 4
Paris Olympics set record for number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes, but some say progress isn’t finished
2024 Olympics: Colin Jost Shares Photo of Injured Foot After Surfing Event in Tahiti
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Boar's Head faces first suit in fatal listeria outbreak after 88-year-old fell 'deathly ill'
2024 Olympics: Egyptian Fencer Nada Hafez Shares She Competed in Paris Games While 7 Months Pregnant
Stores lure back-to-school shoppers with deals and ‘buy now, pay later’ plans