Family: Wrong Woman Was in Casket at Grandma's Viewing

When Virginia Gray's grandkids went to Horton's Funeral Home last Friday to pay their respects to the DC matriarch, who had died at the age of 83 in mid-February, they were prepared to say their final goodbyes, News4 reports. But although her family recognized the clothing on the body in the casket—they had picked it out specifically and brought it to be placed on Gray for the viewing—they didn't recognize the body that was wearing the outfit. "I saw the body of another female that wasn't my grandmother," grandchild Tawana Murphy tells the station. "My heart dropped. I was in disbelief."

It turns out Gray's body had gone missing—and neither the funeral home nor Prince George's Hospital Center, where Gray had passed away before being brought to Horton's, is saying publicly (if they even know) where the body may be, though hospital reps say they're investigating. "Lunacy is what it is," Gray's grandson tells NBC. "It's unspeakable. ... This is straight out of a bad script. … I've never heard of anything like this." A third grandchild simply wants to focus on finding their grandma, saying, "I just want her to have a proper funeral and burial, if it's not too late." Meanwhile, the News4 reporter poses another interesting question: "Who was the woman in Ms. Gray's casket—and where's her family?" (Gray's grandson has never heard of anything like this—but it's happened before.)