Victims Funerals

Did every victim have an open casket funeral?

Surely based on injuries, some victims wouldn't have been able to have an open casket, such as Cassie, but she did have an open casket funeral, didn't she?But didn't Tom Mauser say they didn't know about Daniel's injuries, or the extent of them, until a few days before the funeral and they couldn't believe he still looked as they remembered him because whoever worked on him did a really good job so he didn't look like he would have done immediately after he died.

I'm from the UK so never understood why people choose an open casket funeral. As far as I am aware, we just don't do it here.

Sorry if this is a topic that's been visited before.

I would think that some were not considering the severity of the injuries they suffered and where were inflicted.

katherinex wrote:

Did every victim have an open casket funeral?

Surely based on injuries, some victims wouldn't have been able to have an open casket, such as Cassie, but she did have an open casket funeral, didn't she?But didn't Tom Mauser say they didn't know about Daniel's injuries, or the extent of them, until a few days before the funeral and they couldn't believe he still looked as they remembered him because whoever worked on him did a really good job so he didn't look like he would have done immediately after he died.

I'm from the UK so never understood why people choose an open casket funeral. As far as I am aware, we just don't do it here.

Sorry if this is a topic that's been visited before.

Actually, Misty Bernall mentioned in her book 'She said yes' that they debated whether or not Cassie looked enough like herself to have an open casket funeral and they decided that she didn't. So I'm assuming that means they didn't have an open casket for the funeral.

I have heard that They placed stuffed animals around Dylan's head leading me to think his very small funeral had an open casket but Im not sure the validity

Lizpuff wrote:

I have heard that They placed stuffed animals around Dylan's head leading me to think his very small funeral had an open casket but Im not sure the validity

Sue mentioned it in the book:

"No words are adequate to describe the pain of seeing Dylan’s body in that casket. The expression on Dylan’s face was unfamiliar, which Byron later confessed made it easier for him. That unfamiliar expression was perhaps the only thing that allowed us to get through that first, horrific, unreal moment. I smoothed Dylan’s hair and kissed his forehead, searching his face for clues and finding none. Tom and I had brought a number of Dylan’s childhood stuffed animals, and we placed them in the coffin so they rested against his cheeks and neck. Byron and Tom and I held one another’s hands, and together we held Dylan’s. We were finally by his side, a family again."

I don't know if they can be posted here, but there is a photo from Isaiah's funeral and you can see that it is open casket. I believe Kelly's was also open casket and held at the same time as Daniel's funeral.

I have seen a picture of people filing by Kelly’s and Daniel’s caskets and the caskets were open. I think Tom Mauser said in his book that he agreed at the last minute to allow an open casket.

Rachel's was open casket and Cullen sped down there in his car to get a peek. "So tiny! But so beautiful," he remarked in the 2016 addendum to his book

Lunkhead McGrath wrote:

Rachel's was open casket and Cullen sped down there in his car to get a peek.  "So tiny! But so beautiful," he remarked in the 2016 addendum to his book

That sounds creepy as hell

Rachel's was closed until the very end according to Brooks's book, they opened it as people were leaving the church if I recall correctly.

Lunkhead McGrath wrote:

Rachel's was open casket and Cullen sped down there in his car to get a peek.  "So tiny! But so beautiful," he remarked in the 2016 addendum to his book

I've never heard that!

Apparently Brooks Brown stated in his book "No Easy Answers" that they opened Rachel's casket at the end of the service.

sororityalpha wrote:

Apparently Brooks Brown stated in his book "No Easy Answers" that they opened Rachel's casket at the end of the service.

I wonder why they'd only open it at the end?

hvernon wrote:

sororityalpha wrote:

Apparently Brooks Brown stated in his book "No Easy Answers" that they opened Rachel's casket at the end of the service.

I wonder why they'd only open it at the end?

Would it be because it was televised? Surely though it would have even more impact having the casket open throughout regardless of it being televised.