Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III requested an independent investigation through the Ingham County Sheriff’s office to look into the events that led to the misidentification of two Lansing-area boys killed by a drunken driver.
On April 6, 2001, Kyle Karp and Thomas Schneider, both 13-years-old, were killed walking home from a skate park on Lake Lansing Road.
A mix-up between the two bodies resulted in Schneider wrongly being buried in a Clinton County cemetery and the other was wrongly cremated
Dean Sienko, Ingham County medical examiner, exhumed the body Thursday. A dental examination revealed the two boys had been switched.
Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth explained the investigation will examine the entire incident from the accident to the body being exhumed from the grave. Wriggelsworth said the investigation could take two to four weeks.
He said his department will gather facts and present them to the Dunnings, who then will then determine if any laws were broken.
Sienko was unable to comment , but a representative of Sienko said his investigation is not over.
Allegations of a mix-up began a month ago when Schneider’s mother, Janet Martin, noticed some discrepancies between her son’s description and what the autopsy stated.
Officials believe the mix-up could have occurred at the scene of the accident, Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital, 1215 E. Michigan Ave., or on the way to the funeral homes.
Attorney David Mittleman has been retained by the Schneider family and said he believes the misidentification occurred somewhere in Sparrow Hospital.
“We need to know how the misidentification occurred at Sparrow Hospital,” he said. “And how come there is not a better system to prevent a tragedy like this.”
Mittleman said the Schneider family is planning on cremating the remains of Thomas.
George Sinas, attorney for the Karp family, said he is happy the investigation is taking place and is hopeful the investigation will reveal the truth of how the bodies were misidentified.
“Their worst fears have been confirmed, he said. “As you can well inquire, it is a very emotional and upsetting to learn of the misidentification.”
Bill Oakley, Lansing Township fire chief, was at the scene of the accident.
Oakley said Debra Karp, Kyle’s mother, identified her son to some of his personnel.
Sparrow Hospital spokeswoman Lorri Rishar said the hospital has cooperated fully with Sienko’s investigation and plans to do the same with the sheriff’s as well.
“The bodies were never switched at Sparrow Hospital,” she said.
