A Georgia mother, Tangenika Lee, has narrated how the tragic loss of her son’s ashes in transit is devasting her life.
Lee said she is now grappling with the loss of her teenage son twice over — first to a devastating drug overdose in 2020 and then to the alleged negligence of UPS during a recent shipment.
Deontray, Lee’s son, succumbed to a fentanyl overdose at the age of 15. Following his memorial, the family opted for cremation and planned to place his ashes in a custom urn.
However, during a shipment from Georgia to Connecticut for the urn’s creation, the ashes went missing, leaving Lee devastated.
Despite rigorous tracking efforts, it was revealed that Deontray’s remains were lost in transit, turning a grieving mother’s emotional turmoil into a harrowing ordeal.
According to one account of the story published on The Atlanta Black Star, desperate for answers, Lee initiated investigations, involving the police and filed a missing package report with UPS.
She even reviewed security camera footage at the UPS facility where she dispatched the package, but the efforts yielded no positive outcome.
A UPS customer service representative informed Lee that the last tracking information indicated the package’s presence at a UPS distribution center in Connecticut. Determined, Lee expressed her intent to travel to the state in search of the lost ashes.
Lee shared receipts and the tracking slip on Facebook, highlighting discrepancies in the delivery process and emphasizing her primary concern — retrieving her son’s ashes.
In an unexpected turn, UPS acknowledged the loss of Deontray’s ashes and offered Lee a compensation check of $135.16 from its corporate office.
Lee, visibly distressed, shared her emotional reaction, stating that she is unwilling to cash the check.
However, UPS spokesperson Jim Mayer clarified that the reimbursement aligns with the rate for lost items based on the estimated value of the package, consistent with UPS policy.
Mayer explained that, without additional insurance, packages are covered up to $100, and the additional $35 represents the shipping cost.
Mayer mentioned that UPS does not accept shipments of human remains, and Lee had declared the package as containing “clothes,” as indicated on the form.
Expressing sympathy to the family, Mayer assured that UPS was actively searching for the lost package.
“UPS, where is Deon? I won’t sit down until they hire the appropriate team to help me,” Lee remains relentless.
