ROCHESTER, NY — A 31-year-old woman believed to have died from a drug overdose and whose remains were cremated and shared among family members has turned up alive in another state — months after her family held a memorial in her honor.
Shanice Crews, originally reported deceased in early 2024, was found living in Michigan, according to WROC-TV, a CBS affiliate in Rochester. In the spring of that year, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office informed her family that Crews had died of a cocaine overdose in February. The body was cremated, and her ashes were mixed with those of the family matriarch and distributed as memorial jewelry.
But the woman cremated was not Shanice Crews.
The revelation came months later, when Crews’ sister, Shanita Hopkins, received a text message from a stranger who claimed to have seen Crews volunteering at an event. The message included a photo of the woman and read, “Ma’am I’m concerned your sister is not dead. She just volunteered at my event today.”
Hopkins recognized her sister immediately and contacted police, who initially insisted that dental records confirmed the body they had cremated was Crews. Hopkins pressed further, prompting authorities to initiate DNA testing to verify the identity of the remains.
Authorities re-examining identification process
The case has raised serious questions about the identification protocols used by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. While officials initially relied on dental records to confirm Crews’ identity, the DNA results are now expected to determine who was actually cremated and given to the family.
WROC was shown footage of the urn believed to contain Crews’ ashes, which remains in Hopkins’ home. The family had held a service for Crews and mourned her death for months.
No details have been released regarding how Crews ended up in Michigan or whether she was aware that she had been declared deceased.
Key Points
- Shanice Crews, 31, was declared dead in early 2024 but was later found alive in Michigan.
- Her family received cremated remains, believed to be hers, based on dental record identification.
- DNA testing is underway to identify who was actually cremated and given to the family.