Two former laundry employees of a suburban Atlanta hospital are now in police custody after allegedly stealing an urn containing the ashes of a stillborn infant and then throwing the ashes away, Action News 5 reported.
In August of last year, Carla Massey gave birth to a stillborn six months into her pregnancy. In order to keep her near for emotional support, the heartbroken parents cremated the infant and placed her ashes within an urn that was put into a teddy bear. While Carla was hospitalized at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, the bear went missing, devastating the couple.
“Losing her plus the ashes was a big heartbreak,” Massey explained in an interview.
The teddy bear was found in a trash can within the hospital’s laundry room the same day, but the urn was not there. After an investigation, the urn was found in the home of two employees, who are also married to each other. Unfortunately, the ashes had been disposed of.
Anilus and Rosnie Frederic were each charged with theft and abandonment of a dead body. Both of the Frederics were released on bail, but are no longer employed by Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. A reason for why the couple decided to steal and discard the infant’s ashes has yet to be revealed, but the victims are relieved to learn of their arrest.
“I pray for them, and hope they get better mentally and physically, but I just don’t understand why they would do something like this,” Massey said.
