Billing Dispute Delays Cremation for 2 Months

The body of a 457-pound woman that lay in a morgue for nearly two months because of a dispute over the cost of her cremation would be cremated within a few days, officials said in Dallas.

Charlotte Ann Blue wasn’t immediately cremated because of a disagreement between Dallas County and its crematorium contractor. Blue’s son, Sam Hunter, said he believed his mother had been cremated under a plan for indigent county residents until he called to get a death certificate.

County Medical Examiner Charles Gaylor said the crematorium bills the county $300 for bodies that weigh up to 300 pounds and wanted an extra $157 for Blue’s.