Oklahoma Woman Discovers The Unthinkable After Picking Up Stillborn Baby's Remains

It's a dream many have had for as long as they can remember.

"I wanted to be a mom since I was younger," said Aurora Hartley. "Whenever I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited."

Aurora's dream quickly shattered on November 27, 2023, when she went into preterm labor at 27 weeks. Aurora delivered her baby in a stillborn birth. Hadley's time on earth was short. "It's very hard to think about to discuss just to live with every day," said Aurora.

In her time of grief, Aurora let go of her lifeless baby to get an autopsy at the Medical Examiner's office in Oklahoma City.

Aurora's attorneys say the baby was then sent to Alpha and Omega Mortuary to be cremated.

Aurora picked up the cremated remains at Brown's Funeral Service in Coalgate and the hospital blanket.

What was supposed to moment of closure reopened wounds. "As they're taking the birthing blanket and going to wash it and preserve it. They open it to find the remains of the child," said John Zelbst, Aurora's Attorney.

The family was stunned the photos of what they saw were too graphic to show. "You can only imagine the shock and disgust," said Zelbst.

The family returned to Brown's Funeral Service to figure out how this could happen. "We have an urn with ashes that no one knows who they belong to. It's not our clients' baby. So what family is missing their loved one?" said Zelbst.

The funeral home told Colgate police the ashes were not the baby's remains. "They give this excuse that it's the placenta, which is not a placenta. It has no characteristics of a cremation. So that starts the cover-up," said Zelbst. 

"The question at this point that John and I have is the state board wanting to step in and shut down one of these funeral homes or both of them," said Dan Markoff, Aurora's attorney.

"We are going to let the citizens of this community decide what justice really should be," said Zelbst. Aurora's attorneys are pursuing legal action against the mortuary and funeral home to make sure no other family has to live this nightmare.

All she has to hold onto is this heart, inside the ashes she knows belongs to her child. "I can't think of much more shocking I mean, it's just unbelievable," said Zelbst.

News 9 contacted Brown's Funeral Service and Alpha and Omega Mortuary.

Brown’s Funeral Service does not have a comment at this time, and Alpha and Omega Mortuary say they have not been served at this time.

Aurora says she's seeking help for her mental health at this time after losing and rediscovering her baby after her autopsy.