A bizarre mix-up

Jet, Oct 7, 2002

A BIZARRE MIX-UP: This photo of an unidentified Black man, who was laid to rest with a cigar and a book with a picture of the World Trade Center on the cover, is held by Victor Salas, a member of the Castaneda family, in East Palo Alto, CA. In a bizarre mix-up the Black man's body was shipped to Apatzingan in the Mexican state of Michoacan, to the Castaneda family who were awaiting the arrival of the their deceased family patriarch Robert Castaneda, 68 (r), who was to be buried there in his hometown.

The photograph was taken to convince the Jones Mortuary in East Palo Alto that the mishap had occurred. At JET press time the late Castaneda's body was located in Greece and was expected to make a flight back to the San Francisco International Airport, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Black man's body was also expected to arrive in San Francisco. Neither the funeral home nor Delta Airlines, the shippers of the bodies, have admitted to any wrongdoing. Delta has, however, opened an investigation into the matter.