A federal lawsuit alleges that after Ivan Street, 67 (pictured) died in January, a Baltimore funeral home defrauded his widow by ignoring her request to cremate him, and instead burying him on the orders of another woman claiming to be his wife
A widow is suing a Baltimore funeral home, claiming that it held a 'sham' service for her husband after pretending to cremate him, days after burying the deceased at the directions of another woman who had passed herself off as his wife.
The twisted tale involving Ivan Street and the two women in his life is the subject of a federal lawsuit that was filed last week in the US District Court for the District of Maryland, alleging breach of contract, negligence, malicious fraud, misrepresentation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
Street's wife, 52-year-old Demetra Street, is seeking $8.5million in damages, arguing that the entire ordeal has left her suffering from depression.
The domestic saga began unfolding on January 9, when Ivan Street passed away from congestive heart failure, aged 67.
Four days later, Demetra, Street's wife of four years, approached Wylie Funeral Home in Baltimore and arranged for her husband's body to be cremated, in accordance with his wishes.
The complaint says Demetra Street, 52, had entered into a $2,500 contract with Wylie Funeral Home (pictured) to cremate her husband and hold a memorial service for him
The complaint alleges that the widow signed a contract for $2,500 for the cremation, followed by a memorial service, after presenting funeral home staff with her and Ivan's official marriage certificate bearing a gold seal.
But a few days later, according to the lawsuit, another woman who identified herself as Renee Cook went to the funeral home, also claiming to be Ivan's wife and seeking to have him buried.
Cook provided Wylie staffers with an unofficial marriage certificate dated October 24, 1997.
One of the funeral home employees called Demetra to tell her about Cook's claims and was told by the widow to ignore her and proceed with the cremation, the lawsuit states.
The court filing alleges that the funeral home proceeded to lay the deceased man to rest after accepting payment from Cook for a coffin, cemetery plot and burial, and then faked his cremation in order to keep Demetra's fee.
Wylie Funeral Home President Brandon Wylie has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Baltimore Sun, which first reported on the story, that 'the underlying matter was handled with the utmost sensitivity toward the loved ones of the deceased.'
When Demetra arrived at the
