Thief Takes Wedding Ring From Corpse In Coffin

CCTV footage has emerged of a woman stealing a wedding ring from the finger of a female corpse at a funeral home in Texas. The dead woman, 88-year-old Lois Hicks, was lying in an open casket at Sunset Funeral Home in Odessa.
Her daughter, Vel McKee, told Odessa American online that some of the skin on her mother’s finger had been torn off during the theft.
“I can’t believe someone would be that low,” Ms McKee said.
“It makes me sick to my stomach.
“Horrible. I hope they catch her.”
Ms Hicks’ granddaughter, Brandi Carrasco, told News West 9: "To go in and do that to someone is deplorable.
"We want our family jewellery back.
"My grandmother's finger was red," she added.
The funeral home’s general manager, Bill Vallie, said video showed the thief parking her four-door Saturn car, getting out and entering the building.
The vehicle’s licence plate can be seen in the video.
Ms Hicks’ loved ones had left shortly before, at around 5:30pm.
The woman asked where the toilets were but entered the room containing Ms Hicks’ coffin instead.
“You can’t restrict anyone,” Mr Vallie said.
While he admitted that taking jewellery from the dead at funeral homes is nothing new, he was shocked at how brazen it was.
“This is the first time this has happened,” he said.
Mr Vallie said the family intended to press charges.