A family has filed a lawsuit against a Brooklyn funeral home after they were distressed by the appearance of their loved one’s body, which they claim was improperly preserved. Regina Christophe, 37, died in her sleep on June 24 and her body was eventually taken to the McManus Funeral Home after two days with a medical examiner. It wasn’t until the day of the funeral on July 9 that Christophe’s family saw Regina’s remains. “Her face looked like it was caved in,” Christophe’s mother, Chantal Jean, said. “Actually, it looked like it was burned as fake skin was like melting off her face, one eye maggot came out of her eye.” Jean added that there was a “stench” and that the final sight of her daughter was horrific. “The last image I saw was a monster in the casket,” Jean added. “We feel sincere sympathy for the family and understand their grief,” the funeral home said in a statement. “The family contacted us four days after her passing, and at their request, services were scheduled another 11 days later. This was an extremely difficult case, and we used our best efforts to prepare her for the time requested by the family, and advised them of her condition prior to the day of services.”
