Morticians accused of removing man's legs to fit coffin

Officials gathered Tuesday morning where the body of the late Rev. James Hines was exhumed to investigate allegations that the man's legs had been cut to fit him in a casket he pre-ordered when he learned he was sick with cancer.

ALLENDALE -- State officials have exhumed the body of an Allendale minister, who was buried in 2004, amid allegations his legs had been cut off to fit the 6-foot-7-inch man into a coffin too small for the body.

Allendale County Coroner Hayzen Black, who was present during the Tuesday exhumation, said it has been long rumored that the casket the late Revelation Ministries pastor was laid to rest in was likely not long enough for the very tall man.

"I've been told they cut his legs," Black said.

Several years ago, when the late pastor first learned he had skin cancer, he contacted Cave Funeral Home in Allendale to see that his final arrangements would be properly taken care of.

But, it appears as if they may not have been.

Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, church officials from Revelation Ministries, an investigator with the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Allendale Coroner and the county's sheriff met at the cemetery to either confirm or disprove the allegations.

Described as "huge and lovable," Hines was 60 years old when he died from cancer in October 2004. People who knew him said he was at least 6 feet 7 inches tall and was a talented musician as well as a good man.

After more than 30 minutes of digging into the ground with a bulldozer, the casket was unearthed and opened, and the agents and officials began snapping photographs.

The coroner retreated from the group of officials to talk with church members and those with the media who stood outside the gates of the cemetery.

He said he couldn't comment on what they saw, only that criminal charges would likely be filed.

"There were problems with the body," Black added.

The group of officials started to disperse and the state licensing official reportedly left to talk with the widow.

The Aiken Standard could not reach her by phone.

Although the case had been tied up in legal limbo for some time, it is not clear why officials chose to exhume the body Tuesday. All the investigative work on the body, however, was completed graveside.

The Allendale coroner said state agents and officials would work with the photos and he would wrap the body back up and set the casket into a new vault. He said they should have some answers by May.

In addition to possible felony charges, the funeral home could be cited by the state funeral board. Its license could be suspended or revoked.

A man who answered the phone at the funeral home that handled the Hines burial said he didn't know anything about the matter.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.