A Horseshoe Bend family was left devastated after learning the cremains they received, were not those of their beloved pet cat Buddy, but something else entirely.
On May 19 of this year, Mary Kemp and her Fiancé, suffered the tragic loss of Buddy. Having an established relationship with Wortham Funeral Home, Kemp’s fiance phoned to learn if pet cremation was a service offered.
Seth Wortham, who won the 2026 election to become the next Sharp County Coroner stated this was possible and the following morning, Buddy was brought to the funeral home.
“I told Seth I wanted Buddy to be cremated alone, and I wanted everything,” Kemp said. “Seth told me it would take three to four days, but when I called after the days had passed, I was told Buddy was still there. I asked if he was in a cooler and I was told ‘yes’.” A few more days passed and Kemp called again, this time being told Buddy had been sent off, but had not yet returned.
“It was over a week, and Seth called and said he was in. I went to pick him up and it was just weird. Seth came out and was in socks and went to a room, then to another, and brought me a box that just said ‘Wortham’ in handwriting.”
Kemp said something seemed off as the cat carrier and blanket “wreaked of the smell of death”.
She and her fiancé also thought the volume of the cremated remains was excessive and began to research.
“That carrier smelled so bad. Seth said he sprayed it with Lysol, and I’d washed it and Buddy’s blanket at least four times, the smell just won’t go away. Seth had said it took longer to send Buddy off than we were told,” Kemp said.
Their suspicions about having received the wrong remains were correct, as the following day when they called to question the volume, they were told they’d received a German Shepard, and not their cat.
“Seth came to the house with another Ziploc bag, it still didn’t seem right. He said it was a mistake and he was upset because he’d failed some test and was distracted. He said he was sorry, but it still just seemed off,” Kemp said.
After being presented with a new bag of cremains, they noticed a key component was missing.
“It was just heavier than it should have been. It didn’t have any label on it, but the biggest thing we noticed was that there was no bullet. Buddy had been shot at one time by someone else over a year ago and the bullet was still in him when we sent him off. He was supposed to be cremated alone and we wanted all of him back, including the bullet. We hadn’t told them about the bullet when we had him cremated, but we were specific about wanting everything back.”
Another suspicious aspect was the cost for the cremation.
“We wrote a check to the funeral home for $110. They don’t do cremations there that’s why he said he would send it to Missouri, but when we called to ask where he was sent and for a receipt, no one would call us back,” Kemp said.
Local veterinarians and other professionals who have been contacted by this news agency stated the average cost for the singular cremation of a cat in Buddy’s weight class is no less than $250.
After considering her options, Kemp made a report on June 10 and an investigation began immediately.
Authorities spoke with Wortham who could not produce documentation regarding the cremation of the cat.
Reportedly, when the veterinarian’s office was contacted, they stated they had not cremated a cat recently.
During the investigation when Wortham was called to the sheriff’s office, he brought a bag of cremains, again, those of a German Shepard.
“I’m just stunned and angry. If this isn’t Buddy, who is it or what is it? I want his license pulled and they should be shut down. What they have done is unthinkable. People are supposed to be able to trust them, and clearly, they can’t be trusted.”
Due to the nature of the circumstances if you have had a pet cremated through services offered by Wortham Funeral Home and have concerns contact the Sharp County Sheriff’s Office so they can further investigate.
On June 12 Seth Wortham confessed that the cremains he provided were not Buddy. He was arrested and charged with Theft of Property; Tampering with Physical Evidence and Obstructing Governmental Operations.
According to Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell, “The Sharp County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to conducting fair, thorough, transparent, and impartial investigations regardless of an individual’s position or status.We will continue to follow the facts and uphold the law while ensuring due process for all involved.”
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
