Current Events > The already ugly Dexter Wade incident got even uglier

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.wlbt.com/2023/11/14/where-is-it-gonna-stop-mother-denied-chance-see-dexter-wades-body-exhumed/

RAYMOND, Miss. (WLBT) - Hours after a national civil rights attorney called out Hinds County for exhuming Dexter Wade before his mother arrived on the scene, a county official says a miscommunication is to blame.

I saw a little bit with the family being distraught, and we surely apologize for that, said County Administrator Kenny Wayne Jones. But like I said, miscommunication. Time was wrong. Everything is where its supposed to be now. And thats all we know.

On Monday, the county exhumed the body of Dexter Wade, a 37-year-old Jackson man who was run over by an off-duty Jackson police officer back in March.

Wade was buried at the countys paupers graveyard in July, after city and county officials said they were unable to contact his mother, Bettersten.

Bettersten, whose story has garnered national attention, was supposed to be on hand as her sons body was removed from plot No. 672 around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

Instead, Dexters body was removed hours earlier, with no family members present.

Yall keep telling me yall didnt do it [intentionally], that this wasnt intended for me. But how? If this was your child, what would yall think? How would yall feel, she said. Its just a misunderstanding. Its miscommunication. Is this how the system works?

Where is the cover-up gonna stop? she asked. Where is it gonna stop?

Documents obtained by WLBT show that the board of supervisors voted to exhume Wades remains at its November 6 board meeting. According to a letter from Board Attorney Tony Gaylor, the exhumation would take place at 11:30, and the body would be turned over to Bettersten, her attorneys, and the funeral home.

Bettersten and her attorneys question whether the countys decision was an effort to cover up because Wade had not been buried in a coffin and had not been embalmed.

All remains at the paupers burial ground are put in a body bag and wooden box before theyre interred. No body is embalmed.

The remains were dug up by the countys Public Works Department. Hinds County detainees assisted in the effort.

The miscommunication represents yet another blow for Bettersten, who spent months looking for her only son, finally learning in late August that he had been killed by an off-duty JPD officer on March 5.

Details of the accident show Wade came to a gruesome end, with the responding officer saying one of Wades legs was severed in the accident.

The father of two was pronounced dead on the scene by American Medical Response. The Hinds County coroner was notified, and Wades body was released to the coroner.

The officer who hit Wade was driving a patrol vehicle at the time of the incident. That vehicle was towed to the citys impound lot.

Wade was found with a bottle of prescription drugs at the time of his death. The coroners office confirmed the bottle was his and was able to get a contact for next of kin through the Hinds County Behavioral Health Center. By March 9, that information had been turned over to JPDs Accident Investigation Division.

Bettersten filed a missing persons report on March 14. She told police at the time that she and Dexter had an argument before he left the house around 6:30 p.m.

Yall covered it up. Yall did that. Kept telling me, No, no, no. We dont know where he at, she said. Then, come to find out, in yalls department, somebody hit him. Now, I ask, Can I exhume my child... I couldnt even see him come out [of] the ground.

Bettersten was joined by attorneys Ben Crump, Dennis Sweet, family, and friends for a short prayer vigil, which was supposed to be held before her sons body was removed.

Thats why we need an investigation. Who gave the order to public works? Everybody keeps trying to wash the blood off their hands, like Pontius Pilate, Crump said. Well, the blood is on your hands.

An independent medical examination is going to be conducted by Dr. Frank Peretti, a forensic pathologist in Little Rock. It will be paid for by Campaign Zero, a national social justice organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network are expected to pay for Wades funeral. The funeral is expected to be held on November 20.

Tl;dr: Off duty cop hit her son and killed him. Cops knew who he was, never contacted his family for months and buried him in a "pauper's graveyard". After a national outcry, the county agrees to exhume the body and give it to his mother. They exhumed the body before she could get there.

What did they do with the body then?

Was the cop ever arreste-hahaha of course he wasn't why am I even asking

acab

Everyone involved should face charges for whatever MS law allows for desecration of a corpse. If there was any kind of conspiracy, get them for that too.

I saw a little bit with the family being distraught, and we surely apologize for that, said County Administrator Kenny Wayne Jones. But like I said, miscommunication. Time was wrong. Everything is where its supposed to be now. And thats all we know.

This asshat is the first person they need to go after. The whole thing is an outrage.

itcheyness posted...

What did they do with the body then?

His remains had already been dug up, put in a body bag and placed in the back of a Chevy Suburban.
The transfer of Dexter Wades remains didnt occur at the paupers field but up the road, beside the penal farms horse stable, where observers had to step past manure.
The burial will be next week.

Foppe posted...

His remains had already been dug up, put in a body bag and placed in the back of a Chevy Suburban.
The transfer of Dexter Wades remains didnt occur at the paupers field but up the road, beside the penal farms horse stable, where observers had to step past manure.
The burial will be next week.

It just gets worse and worse at each step. I hope that family sues everyone involved and again, if they can get any kind of charge for desecrating a corpse, I hope it happens.

This story is just so unimaginably bleak.

TomClark posted...

This story is just so unimaginably bleak.

The negligence is just unimaginable.