Yahoo Movies Family Speaks Out After Father's Cremated Remains Got Lost in Transit: 'It's a Terrible Feeling'
A family is still waiting for a loved one's ashes to arrive in Illinois.
Members of the McGuire family want answers after the cremated remains of Daniel McGuire, who died at age 63 in March 2021, did not show up at a funeral home in Arlington Heights ahead of his service on May 20, according to Chicago-based stations WLS-TV, WMAQ-TV and WBBM-TV.
Daniel's remains had been with his son Colin McGuire at his home in California before the scheduled service, per the reports. But despite paying for an express USPS delivery, the family says the ashes have yet to arrive at their intended destination.
"If losing your dad isn't enough, try having your dad pass away and then, you know, losing his remains," Colin told WMAQ-TV. "It's a terrible feeling."
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, USPS offered "a sincere apology for the unintended delay in delivering this important package" and extended "condolences to the McGuire family."
"The Postal Service always strives to provide the best possible service to our customers," the agency said, adding that it is "keenly aware of the desire to locate the parcel as soon as possible," and "committed to an ongoing search and will work to resolve this matter."
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Colin told WMAQ-TV that he initially didn't have second thoughts about mailing his late father's remains across the country via the postal service. In fact, he claimed the funeral home recommended it.
A copy of Colin's receipt that was allegedly obtained by WBBM-TV reportedly showed that he paid $133.94 for priority two-day shipping on May 11. Colin told the outlet that the package was even labeled with a "cremated remains" sticker.
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Tracking information for the missing package indicated that an initial scan had taken place, but offered no additional updates, per WMAQ-TV.
Colin said his family was hoping to bury Dan alongside his grandmother, who died a few months after Dan at age 93.
Dan's brother, Brian McGuire, told WBBM-TV that he is both "angry" and "hurt" by the situation. "You didn't lose a pair of gym shoes," he said. "You lost the remains of a human being."
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Now, Colin is looking for help from local lawmakers after USPS told his family to contact his congressional representative in order to get headquarters involved.
"I just want the headquarters and anyone with authority to help me find him," Colin told WMAQ-TV. "I just want him back. That's it."
