When the casket was opened, the body was missing

Cook County crash: Casket with body inside ejected from hearse during collision with stolen car
By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Published October 27, 2023 5:16PM


Cook County crash: Casket with body inside ejected from funeral hearse.

A casket with a body inside was ejected from a funeral hearse when it was involved in a crash with a stolen car Friday morning in a Chicago suburb.

COOK COUNTY - A casket with a body inside was ejected from a funeral hearse when it was involved in a crash with a stolen car Friday morning in Homewood.

Around 8:30 a.m., Homewood police and the fire department responded to the intersection of 183rd St. and Kedzie Ave. for a report of a traffic crash.

When officers arrived at the scene, they learned the collision involved a Cadillac funeral hearse and a silver Kia reported stolen out of Chicago Heights. The Kia was traveling southbound on Kedzie Ave. at a high rate of speed when it struck the hearse that was heading eastbound on 183rd St.

Village officials say a casket that contained a person's body was ejected from the hearse, that the driver of the hearse exited the vehicle and ran from the scene and that three individuals exited the Kia and ran from the scene.

One of individuals was located and taken into custody. During questioning, he admitted that the reason he ran was because he is afraid of ghosts.  An inspection of the casket indicated that a body had been in the casket but could no longer be located. 

The investigation is at a dead end. Anyone with information is urged to contact Homewood PD at 708-206-3420.