Family ‘left with more questions’ after body of loved one exhumed without them being present

By Fabiana Chaparro, CNN

(CNN) — The mother of a Mississippi man who was accidentally run over and killed by Jackson police is now saying she has been victimized a second time after her son’s body was exhumed without his family present.

Dexter Wade’s body was scheduled to be exhumed on Monday at 12:30 p.m. ET, which his family, attorneys, members of the media and community advocates planned to be present for, according to a statement from the family’s attorney. He was instead exhumed at 9 a.m. ET.

“There’s still no peace because I don’t know what happened to him,” Wade’s mother, Bettersten Wade, told CNN affiliate WLBT.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was involved in arranging for Wade’s body to be exhumed and for an independent autopsy to be conducted, said in a statement on the family’s behalf, “We hoped today that Ms. Wade could receive some answers and closure, but once again she is just left with more questions and even more trauma.”

In response to the incident, Hinds County Administrator Kenny Wayne Jones told WLBT that they were apologetic about the “miscommunication.”

CNN has previously reported Wade was buried in a pauper’s grave after being fatally struck by a Jackson Police Department cruiser on March 5.

Days later, police said, the coroner’s office identified Wade from medication found in his pocket. Jackson police said its efforts to notify Wade’s family were stymied by outdated contact information.

His mother reported him missing on March 14, but did not receive word from police that he was deceased until six months later, on August 24.

Police acknowledged investigators failed to connect the missing persons report with Wade’s death.

“While this is a very tragic and unfortunate accident, our investigation found no malicious intent by any Jackson police staff,” the City of Jackson said in a statement to CNN.

On Monday, the Jackson Police Department announced they will now have a death notification policy, which was not previously in place.

“We want to make sure were giving the best police service to our citizens, so we have a death notification policy that is signed as of today and we’ll roll out today,” Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said during a news conference.

The-CNN-Wire
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