NORTHWEST TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Tallahassee mother says she was forced to exhume her daughter's casket after suspecting something was not right with the funeral arrangements.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Shirissa Barton is still searching for answers one year after losing her daughter in a Texas car crash.
Brittany "Britt" Delva died June 1, 2025, after a crash in Texas. Delva's family spoke to ABC27 shortly after the accident.
The 29-year-old Army specialist was remembered by family as athletic, caring, and deeply involved in her community.
Barton says the family initially planned to cremate Delva after her death. But questions started days before the funeral after she received a call from the military.
"So I went up to the funeral home to speak with Mr. Hall, and he just was like, Sharissa, I'm sorry. I dropped the ball. I didn't get the necessary paperwork from the medical examiner to have her cremated," Barton said.
Barton says she moved forward with the funeral believing her daughter had not been cremated. But she says something did not feel right after the service. She says she eventually filed paperwork to have the casket exhumed.
"They had to lift up a whole bunch of stuff and her remains was in the box that comes from the crematory, in the bottom of the casket," Barton said.
Barton claims a blanket inside the casket had been stuffed with plastic to create the impression a body was inside.
Her attorney, Craig Brown, calls the experience traumatic and says legal action is coming.
"This was not a mistake. This is not an accident. This was absolutely intentional and we know it was intentional. We know that she was intentionally misled," Brown of The Law Offices of Craig J. Brown, P.A. said.
I spoke with Alfonso "Al" Hall, owner of A.L. Hall-Tillman Funeral Home. He told me, "No comment due to pending litigation."
The funeral home later released a public statement saying many of the accusations are "inaccurate" and "misleading." The statement also says Hall "fully and transparently engaged" with a regulatory complaint process and "fulfilled every obligation required of him."
ABC27 submitted a public records request to Florida's Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services seeking information about any complaints or investigations connected to the case and am awaiting those documents if any exist.
"And it had me questioning is that really my baby but you know I just prayed and I'm just praying that what I have right here is my child," Barton said.
Attorney Brown says they expect to file a lawsuit after reviewing documents related to the case.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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