Washington mom pleads for return of stolen urn containing son’s ashes

TACOMA, Wash. — A mother from Tacoma, Washington, made a heartbreaking discovery after returning home from a trip to Leavenworth on Sunday: Someone had broken into her home and stolen jewelry and an urn containing her son’s ashes.

Melissa Carter said she doesn’t care if she ever gets the jewelry back but hopes someone will return the urn.

“I feel so violated,” said Carter. “I’m a single mom and to come home and have my house broken into and my son’s urn gone, which is my biggest concern; that’s all I have of him — I just would love to get that back.”

Carter said the urn contained ashes of her son who died while she was six months pregnant in 2012.

The burglary happened at her home on South Union Avenue near 31st Street. Carter said she had been out of town for a few days and showed KIRO-TV where the burglar smashed a window in her son’s bedroom and entered the home.

Tacoma police confirmed they’re now investigating and plan to send a forensics team to the house Monday morning.

Members of the family said they’ve been working to find surveillance video and have even visited pawn shops to try to find the urn.

Anyone with information related to the stolen urn is asked to call Tacoma police.