Washington: A 50-year-old woman in the US has turned up alive 13 days after her devastated family buried a body, believed to be hers, in an emotional funeral.
The service for Sharolyn Jackson was held on August 3 after the Philadelphia Medical Examiner had signed a death certificate for Jackson and a body, thought to be hers, was laid to rest.
However, after a gap of 13 days, Jackson showed up at a Mental Health Facility in central Philadelphia.
Her family was overjoyed on finding her alive and an investigation has now been opened to determine who is actually buried in the grave thought to be hers.
City officials said the body is that of an unidentified woman who was found dead from natural causes July 20th on a West Philadelphia street and her body was taken to the Medical Examiner`s Office, `CBS News` reported.
When a social worker who knows Jackson - and her son - both identified pictures of the dead woman as Jackson, the Medical Examiner`s Office signed a death certificate, allowing an undertaker to remove her body for funeral services and burial.
A representative of the Philadelphia Health Department said all procedures were followed by workers and, with two people, including a family member, identifying her, it was following protocol to release the body.
City officials are expected to seek an order to exhume the unknown body so it can be identified.
PTI
