Cremated Remains Stolen By Package Thief in Shaw – Devastated Family Seeks Your Help Looking For It

“Dear PoPville,

I am hoping that broadly disseminating my story to the faithful will generate some leads in helping me get through a terrible situation. My mother died a horrible death on a COVID-19 ward in San Diego recently. Due to the situation, I could not have a proper service and memorial so she was cremated, and her remains shipped to my home in DC. The US Postal Service delivered her remains and urn to the concierge desk of my building on 4/15/20, but I never received notification of it from them or my building. We searched for it for weeks. Nothing.

I was finally able to obtain security footage from my building for the day/time in question and was beyond devastated to see a man gained access to my building and stole the package containing my mother’s remains.

I am hopeful that the man discarded the package once he realized that it was not valuable to him. Of course it is invaluable to me and my family. My siblings and I are beside ourselves with grief and despair.

I am hoping someone may have seen the package, the man, or both. The package was a brown cardboard package 10’L x 7″W x 7″H and weighs 19 lbs. The package was well labeled with “cremated human remains” and “fragile” labels. It also bore multiple “Priority Express Overnight” labels. The package was addressed to Kevin F. Lynch and should have been delivered to 800 P St NW.

Inside the package was a rectangular, green, marbled urn containing my mother’s remains. The urn is engraved with my mom’s name: Margaret Elizabeth Lynch.

I am attaching a photo of the urn and a photo of the man who stole it. I have filed a police report. If anyone has seen the man, the package, the urn or the ashes, please let me know. I can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 619-436-9949. My siblings and I will offer a reward for the return.”