Manhattan, New York — What should have been a final opportunity for a family to say goodbye to their father instead turned into a shocking and emotional ordeal after they allegedly discovered a stranger lying in his coffin.
The family of Jose Daniel Diaz Felipe, known to loved ones as Danielito, says they were left devastated and searching for answers after arriving at a wake in Manhattan and realizing the body in the casket did not belong to him.
Family Claims Wrong Body Was in Coffin
According to relatives, Diaz Felipe died at the age of 84, and his children gathered at R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home in Washington Heights on May 28 to pay their final respects.
However, his son, Jose Luis Diaz, said something immediately appeared wrong.
He told NBC 4 New York that the man lying in the casket looked nothing like his father.
According to the family, Diaz Felipe was bald and approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, while the individual in the coffin had hair and appeared significantly taller.
Jose alleged the funeral home staff initially insisted the body belonged to his father.
“Trying for hours to convince us he was our father,” he claimed, adding that the funeral home later attributed the mistake to another deceased individual who reportedly had a similar name.
Daughter Says Experience Was Traumatizing
The incident left family members emotionally shaken as they repeatedly viewed the body while trying to determine what had happened.
“They made me look at the body over and over again, it wasn’t my dad’s and I couldn’t sleep,” Diaz Felipe’s daughter, Jacinta Diaz, told Telemundo Puerto Rico.
Relatives say the experience transformed an already painful period of mourning into an ongoing nightmare filled with uncertainty and unanswered questions.
Family Unsure What Happened to Father’s Remains
According to Jose Diaz, funeral home representatives later informed the family that his father’s remains were located at the company’s main office in the Bronx.
He said staff told him his father had been cremated, but the family remains unconvinced.
“They say that they cremated him, but we don’t know for sure if that is our father,” he told.
The uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of the remains has left relatives deeply distressed.
“Not knowing where my dad’s remains are right now, whether he was actually cremated, whether his body is still out there, whether they gave him another name, whether they took him out of the country, is a total uncertainty. We can’t sleep,” he added.
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The family has reportedly demanded DNA testing to verify that any remains provided actually belong to Diaz Felipe.
Family Says Two Families Could Be Affected
Relatives also expressed concern for the family of the other deceased man whose body allegedly ended up in the wrong casket. According to Jacinta Diaz, the incident could ultimately impact more than one grieving family.
“There are two affected families, who may not have realized it yet, the relatives of the other family, but they will,” she said.
The family is reportedly considering legal action as they seek answers and accountability.
Funeral Home Previously Faced Legal Challenges
The controversy comes as R.G. Ortiz Funeral Homes has previously faced scrutiny from city officials.
According to reports, New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection filed a lawsuit against the company in 2024, alleging it was “exploiting grieving families.”
Then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned the alleged conduct.
“The alleged violations by R.G. Ortiz Funeral Homes is appalling and unacceptable. No family in New York City should ever have to endure predatory treatment, especially during their time of grief and mourning.”
The company later settled the lawsuit, reportedly paying $600,000 to clients and $100,000 in civil penalties.
The latest allegations have once again raised questions about funeral home practices and the trust families place in them during some of their most vulnerable moments.
What do you think about this family’s ordeal and the responsibilities funeral homes have toward grieving families? Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments below.
