A family in New York is reliving a tragedy after mourning the “death” of a loved one, only to later learn that the family member is still alive.
Shanita Hopkins, a resident of Rochester and sister of the woman believed to be deceased, shared the full story with WROC. She explained that her sister, Shanice Crews, had been reported missing in July 2021 when she stopped communicating and left her two children behind. In April 2024, local authorities informed the family that she had died in February of that year in an abandoned lot due to a drug overdose, with the autopsy revealing significant amounts of cocaine in her system.
Hopkins was shocked and began to question whether her sister had been drugged because she did not know her to use drugs. “Did somebody like lace her?” said Hopkins, speaking with WROC. Due to the severe decomposition of the body, it was cremated right away. A funeral and memorial service was held in May 2024. The ashes were even mixed with those of their mother to create keepsake necklaces.
Family Receives Shocking News
However, they later discovered that those ashes belonged to a “stranger,” and the woman they believed to be deceased might be alive.
Months later, Hopkins received a message from a stranger in Detroit who claimed that her sister was still alive. “Ma’am, I’m concerned your sister is not dead,” the message said, followed by a photo of a woman who Hopkins said is her sibling. “She just volunteered at my event today,” the message added. “Wtf,” Hopkins responded.
Hopkins reached out to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, presenting them with the photos and messages she had received. She stated that they maintained the dental records confirmed a match. Additional DNA tests were conducted on family members that came out not to be a match, indicating that the remains did not belong to Shanice. She believed that “they couldn’t find out who this was and they wanted to close a missing person’s case.”
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
