Human remains found in a parking lot, but family doesn't want them

Nov. 20 (UPI) -- When a California woman discovered the remains of Dorothy Mae Moss in a grocery store parking lot and attempted to return them to the family, she got a strange response -- the family didn’t want the ashes.

The woman wrote an anonymous note about the found ashes in the Victor Valley News:

“After finding a parking space I parked and stepped out of my vehicle and I noticed the box in the parking space next to me.

"I paused for a second and wondered to myself, what’s inside the box? I was very shocked to find the ashes and I even brought them into the store to show the manager.

"He was helpful and informed me he could not keep them at the store. I had no choice but to take them home with me and here I am today.”

She wrote that she had asked the pastor and crematorium listed on the service flyer in the box to reach out to the family, and encouraged readers to help.

But the pastor of Light & Life Missionary Baptist told her the family didn't want the ashes.

When the woman questioned the pastor as to why, he claimed he didn’t know.

The ashes were found in a cardboard box in a Stater Brothers parking lot. According to a flyer in the box, Moss died on April 11, 2007.

[CBS Sacramento] [Victor Valley News]