Man's Ashes Stolen From Church

Losing your loved one is hard enough...but losing their ashes, too?

​Police are truly baffled by a weekend incident where a the ashes of a woman's deceased husband were stolen out of the church as the family planned his memorial service.

The family was gathered at Christ Episcopal Church in Alameda on Saturday afternoon to plan a service for 74-year-old Marvin Kent Hockabout who had died in January. The family had brought his ashes in a wooden box inside a green backpack -- for safety.

At some point, his relatives went into the parish and left backpack containing the ashes at the altar. It was no more than 10 minutes when they came back and the backpack -- including their loved one -- was gone.
Police have no idea if the person even knew what it was they were taking; there has been speculation that a long lost lover could be involved or perhaps it was just some daring kids playing a prank?

It's worth noting that the man's passport was also stuffed away in the backpack; Hockabout had worked for the state department, so it was a diplomatic document.

"We don't care why or who took them, we only want his remains returned to us so we can give my father the final farewell he deserves." Hockabout's younger son, Chris, said.

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