The family of 75-year-old Emilia L. Severino has filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island Superior Court alleging that Rhode Island Hospital gave the wrong body to Bell Funeral Home, leading to the burial of a stranger instead of their loved one.
According to the complaint, Severino died on Dec. 30, 2025, five days after being admitted to the hospital’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit for fire and smoke inhalation injuries. Her body was moved to the hospital morgue. On Jan. 15, 2026, the funeral home retrieved what hospital staff allegedly identified as Severino’s remains. The family claims hospital documentation attached to the lawsuit shows employees signed off on the incorrect identification.
The lawsuit contends that the funeral home failed to independently verify the remains and did not open the body bag to confirm the identity before placing it into a casket.
Closed Casket Burial and Disturbing Discovery
In the days leading up to the Jan. 19 burial, the family says Bell Funeral Home asked them to provide clothing for Severino to be buried in. Instead of dressing the body, the lawsuit alleges, funeral home staff placed the clothing—still on hangers with tags attached—on top of a sealed black body bag inside the casket.
When family members attempted to visually identify the remains prior to burial, they were allegedly told the body was “too decomposed” to view. The lawsuit disputes that explanation and claims the funeral home refused access because opening the bag would have revealed identification tags showing the remains belonged to someone else.
During the graveside service in Providence, the funeral home reportedly experienced difficulty closing the casket. As staff briefly lifted the lid to adjust it, family members saw a zipped black body bag inside with the new clothes lying on top. Still unaware of the mistaken identity, they proceeded with the burial.
Hospital Admits Error After Burial
The following day, Rhode Island Hospital informed the family that it had provided the wrong body. According to the lawsuit, the mistake was discovered only after another funeral home requested the remains that had been misidentified as Severino.
The family further alleges that both the hospital and funeral home initially wanted to “switch” the bodies without notifying them, but the cemetery required permission before exhumation. After the family granted approval, the grave was reopened and Severino’s actual remains were identified at the hospital. The lawsuit claims her body was then transported back to the cemetery and reburied without proper ceremony or respect.
In a statement to WJAR-TV, Rhode Island Hospital said it conducted an internal review and terminated the employee involved. The hospital stated it is strengthening its procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Bell Funeral Home did not publicly respond to media inquiries.
The family alleges negligence by both institutions and says the ordeal caused severe emotional distress, depriving them of the ability to properly mourn and honor their mother. They are seeking a jury trial.
