Son calls stunned parents after his funeral
Thursday, December 25, 2003 Posted: 1:38 PM EST (1838 GMT)


OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- Charles Wyckoff and his wife had returned home after a funeral for their son when the phone rang.

"Hey, Dad," Kevin Wyckoff said.

"Huh. Well, damn boy. We just had your funeral today," his father said Monday, according to a transcript of the call provided Wednesday by the Oklahoma Corrections Department.

"Yeah, I know. I heard," Kevin Wyckoff said.

"Well, what the hell is going on?" his father asked.

Prison officials had misidentified an inmate who had hanged himself behind bars as Wyckoff. The inmate, who was buried Monday in Wyckoff's place, is believed to be Steven L. Howe, the Corrections Department said.

Wyckoff, 23, is serving a five-year sentence for offenses including kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The Corrections Department had a transcript of Wyckoff's conversation with his parents because it routinely monitors inmate calls.

The younger Wyckoff said prison officials had put Howe's name on a cell where he had been moved, and left his name on the cell where Howe committed suicide.

Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said investigators were trying to determine whether the two inmates switched cells without permission or if staff made the switch without filing a report.

Both had entered the prison, the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, on December 5 and are similar in appearance, officials said.

Sequoyah County District Attorney Richard Gray said that if Howe's family agrees, his body could be exhumed next week.

During the phone call, Wyckoff also spoke to his mother.

"Kevin, I can not believe this," said his mother, whose name was not released. Calls to the Wyckoff home in Sallisaw on Wednesday were not answered.

"We buried you today, boy," she said.

"I understand that. It's not my fault, though," he responded.

"OK. Somebody's in deep trouble," his mother said.

The family will not receive any immediate reimbursement for the funeral expense and may have to file a claim, Massie said. "We can't just write them a check."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Southwest/12/25/suicide.misidentified.ap/index.html

Oh I bet they'll be filing a claim alright! I know I would - can you imagine the emotional stress if burying your kid? Even if he's a scumbag, he's still your kid. They should definately sue.

Other than feeling bad for the parents (of course, we dont what kinda poeple they are..... raising a criminal and all), who cares? [:D]

 If the testimony and quotes above are any indication of the actual phone conversation all I can say is, God damn!  What a bunch of hillbillies!

 "Hey, yer late fer yer funril, Stoopid!!!!"


 These folks are straight out of the cast of "Hee Haw".....sheesh.

 

The only reason this happened is because that had switched cells with each other for some reason.  

One night years ago our front door bell rang.  I was in the kitchen so the wife answered the door.  Outside were two deputies.  They told my wife I was dead.  Her reply was to go in the kitchen and tell me.  Man were they embarrassed.  Got the wrong address...

Did they check you for a pulse? Depending on what happened you might not have known..........[;D]