When buying a foreclosure it is not unusual to find items like furniture, clothing, and other what-not left behind by the previous residents. But finding cremated remains that had been left behind is one for the books.
That is exactly what one man found as he was cleaning out a Gustine home he had recently purchased to refurbish and resell.
The discovery is made all the stranger when he learned the remains had been in the home through several different owners.
Through some diligent work by Gustine Police Officer Mike Trujillo and Records Clerk Noreen Canals the remains are now on their way to a family member, who had been looking for them for quite some time.
The purchaser of the home on Lee Avenue wasn’t sure what to do with the remains, so he brought them to the Gustine Police Department, which is how Trujillo and Canals got involved.
The remains were that of Craig Snarr, who passed away in 2007. Trujillo and Canals started a property and family search and after a lengthy list of calls, finally found success with the second to last name.
“It was his brother and when I told him we had his brother’s remains he was really happy to learn they had finally been found,” Trujillo said.
The brother, Ken Snarr, told Trujillo that he had been trying to track down his brother’s remains since his passing, but had no luck.
It turns out the remains had been sitting in a bedroom closet. And several different people took ownership of the home in the ensuing years. As to why none of them did anything with the remains is a mystery.
“I don’t know why they just left him in the closet,” Trujillo said.
Ken Snarr lives in Lake Havasu and cremated remains can only be sent through the United States Postal Service. Trujillo said he was ready to cover the cost himself when he got a nice surprise that they post office would waive the fee to help get Craig back to his family.
“It’s great how different people have helped out to get him back to his brother,” Trujillo said.
