Friend Steals Man's Van Along With Wife's Remains, Police Say

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

WILSON, Oklahoma -- A Carter County man whose wife died last year is dealing with her loss once again, all because he tried to help out a friend.

Tim Hineline thought he put his wife's remains in a good place for safekeeping, but police say a friend looking to make some quick cash took them.

Jannie Hineline died last September from cancer. Hineline kept her cremated remains in a house he owns in Wilson just west of Ardmore. Two weeks ago, he let his friend, 26-year-old Patrick Anthony Hall Williamson, move in.

"I was giving him free rent because he was down on his luck, and it was kind of cold and they got a little child. So I was trying to be a good friend and help them out and give them a free place to stay," Hineline said.

But the friend didn't like the remains inside the house, so Hineline temporarily moved them to his van, which was stored on the property. Police said the friend needed some money, so he decided to sell the van to a salvage yard for $125 along with everything inside.

Police later arrested Williamson.

"After we found that out, we went and interviewed him, and he basically did confess that he had stole the van, and that's when he was transported to the county jail," Hineline said.

After learning about the van, the salvage yard contacted police and Hineline got his van back, but what they didn't find was the brass urn holding the cremated remains.

Williamson has denied taking the urn, and the salvage yard said they never saw the remains. Now Hineline is looking for any help he can to get the remains back.

"I'm hoping somebody will find the small square brass box near or around Wilson at the dump or somewhere that contains my wife's ashes because you just can't put a price on somebody," Hineline said.

The couple had only been married two years when his wife died, and Hineline said if he gets the urn back, he'll keep it by his side at all times.

Williamson pleaded guilty to obtaining cash under false pretenses and was given a one-year suspended sentence.