McLoud Police Return Woman's Ashes To Her Husband After 20 Years In Storage

McLoud police returned ashes to a husband after they sat inside the department for 20 years. 

The ashes were found back in February 2000, but police were never able to successfully find the family they belonged to.

When Wes Elliott became McLoud police chief a year ago, he wanted to revisit some of their old cases to see if they could crack them. The ashes case made it on the list and Elliott started making some calls.

“With the technology we have today and the guys I have working for me, it took less than 20 minutes to find her husband,” Elliott said.

When the chief made the call to the husband with the good news, he said the husband just began to cry.

“His reaction was disbelief that he couldn’t believe that after all of this time, he is going to be reunited with his wife,” Elliott said.

This has been a long time coming though.

Back in February 2000, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol impounded an abandoned car along Interstate 40 near McLoud.

When inventory was done of the car, they found the brown box with the woman’s remains inside.

Police said a family member was driving the car at the time, but the details surrounding the circumstances are vague.

“They were married for 35 years,” Elliott said.

Elliott is glad the remains fell into their hands, so they could be able to deliver her safe and sound.

“The big things is that he knew for all of these years she was in pretty good hands,” said Elliott. “That she wasn’t in a vehicle crushed, or just disposed of.”