Police: Open casket at Warren park was part of funeral procession

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Butcher Park in Warren, a beautiful place where kids are playing, squirrels are frolicking - and there was a casket laid out with a body inside.

A photo posted online sent shockwaves and some shivers through social media and the neighborhood.

FOX 2: "Do you think it’s creepy or kind of a nice thing?"

"Kind of both. Maybe some people might get offended, but it might be nice for the family," said Derek Vanden Esschert, Warren resident. "I’m not sure how they even got it over there."

And neither did Warren police — at first.

"I’ve been with Warren for 10 years and we have never had a situation or experience like this," said Det. Carla Rexford, Warren police.

Rexford started pouring through tons of tips and social media posts.

"So many questions were going through our mind," she said. "One, we wanted to make sure everything was done properly, we wanted to make sure the body was where it was supposed to be, and make sure it got back to the loved ones."

The coffin was gone when Warren police arrived, but there were tracks consistent with a gurney that a coffin might be wheeled in on. Detective Rexford then, started calling funeral homes.

"We were thankful to find out it truly was just a family paying their respects," Rexford said.

It turns out — a longtime Warren resident had spent their final days in New York — and the funeral procession stopped briefly at Butcher Park so nearby family could say goodbye, before heading to a cemetery in Detroit.

"That’s cool with me, sorry to family but it was very interesting to see to say the least," Vanden Esschert said.

"But just to avoid any further issues in the future just make sure to contact City Hall and the police department is contacted," Rexford said.

That way — everyone’s in the know — and can be at peace.