Family believes latest body of man presented to them by funeral home is theirs

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Close to a month after the ordeal experienced by family members of Roy Williams, whose body they claimed could not be accounted for by Doyley's Funeral Services in Westmoreland, they are now breathing a sigh of relief after a body was presented to them on Thursday for DNA testing.However, the breakthrough has sparked a new dispute.While the family claimed a DNA test was conducted on Thursday, the funeral home has denied it. Furthermore, the funeral home insists that the body presented this week is the same one that was brought to the church last month.“No DNA was done today, Sir,” stated an executive at the funeral home, who added, “it is the same body that they came back and looked at.”However, the family strongly rejects the funeral home's timeline. The sister of the 90-year-old deceased man who was a resident at the Savanna-la-Mar Infirmary insists that the body shown to them on Thursday bears no resemblance to the one sent to the Savanna-la-Mar Seventh-day Adventist Church for the funeral on May 17.“It makes no sense they try to play us, This is not it. This is not the body that we had before. But we are happy that they have located him where he was and we're happy that they brought him to us,” stated Andrea McDonald in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.McDonald explained that the family has photographic evidence proving the mismatch.“That's not the body because we have pictures. If you go back and check the funeral video, you could see that it wasn't the body. We had the coffin at the funeral and we showed the face of the man. I took pictures at the funeral, I was in Jamaica and I took pictures of the body, the face and the naked body. So, I have both pictures. This is two different people,” insisted McDonald.Despite the funeral home's denials, Roy’s brother, Bishop Dr Oliver Williams, alleged that the funeral home executive witnessed the DNA procedure firsthand“She witnessed everything,” stated Williams.McDonald admitted that because the body presented on Thursday actually resembled her late brother, she initially felt a DNA test might no longer be necessary. However, the family's attorney advised them to proceed, as planned.“Because of the controversy, the lawyer said yes, let’s go through with it,” said McDonald.McDonald described the grim condition of the body shown to them on Thursday, noting it had started to decompose.“It looked like it was being exhumed from somewhere. It looked like a mummy's body. Just like how you see a mummy look. You could see where parts of it had been decomposed — the neck, the hands, the feet,” stated McDonald.While the family awaits the DNA results to finally bring closure and allow for a proper burial, they are left wondering about the identity of the first body they were given at the church.“Resoundingly we said yes, this is the body that we were missing. But where is the other body that they had before? Where is it? Where is the previous body? We still haven’t seen that body today (Thursday) because they said they don’t have another body, they said this is the body. But thank God we have pictures of the body that they gave us before,” argued McDonald.“For right now let's take it step by step. But trust me, we have gone through hell with this,” reflected McDonald on the emotional toll of the past month.The lawyer representing the family promised to return a call to the Observer, but up to press time, the call was not forthcoming.