Lawsuit Filed Over Right to Eric Mays Remains

The son of the late Flint City Council member Eric Mays is suing other family members and Lawrence Moon Funeral Home over who has the right to handle his father’s remains.

According to a release by the Lento Law Group, Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays is Eric Mays’ only next of kin with the authority under Michigan law to decide the funeral arrangements for his father. Those arrangements were made by Deontaye Mays’ aunts and uncles, according to the lawsuit, who released the body of the late Mays to the Lawrence Moon Funeral Home, with a funeral scheduled for March 9.

Deontaye Mays has filed the suit in Genesee County 7th Judicial Court, alleging fraudulent activity against his family members and a mortuary science complaint against the funeral home, which has refused to release Mays’ body to his son’s funeral home of his choosing. The suit alleges that action is a violation of Michigan law. A judge has issued a restraining order preventing the funeral home from doing anything with the body.

A final hearing will be held Thursday.