KENNEWICK — On the day before Easter, around 100 people attended a memorial service for the stillborn girl found along the side of Interstate 82 in early March. After an anonymous couple paid for her burial, Hillcrest Funerals and Cremation of Kennewick provided the service at no charge.
The funeral was held in Richland at Sunset Memorial Gardens in the Our Little Lambs section for children and babies. It was attended by community members, law enforcement and public officials.
When a body is found and not claimed, coroners are instructed to cremate the body and leave the ashes on a shelf for a required number of years. If the ashes are not claimed when this time is up, they’re spread somewhere local. By paying for a burial, the anonymous donors prevented this fate for Baby Girl Doe.
Letter from donors
Benton County Coroner Bill Leach released a letter from the anonymous donors before the service, saying in part: