A man who buried his baby at an Augusta cemetery 23 years ago is seeking answers after her remains could not be found.
Kamaron Hickman said the family no longer lives here and decided last year to exhume Jada Kai Hickman’s body from Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Augusta. They had planned to cremate her remains and carry her memory around their neck. She died in March 2001 when she was six months old.
“What was supposed to be a positive experience has turned into an absolute nightmare,” Hickman said in a Jan. 3 Facebook post. “I get a phone call saying that no remains were found. The staff told us that they dug up all 3 plots that we purchased back then with zero success and concluded that after all this time, the remains ‘may have’ returned to the earth. I don’t remember a lot from that day but I do know she was buried in a white casket, little white shoes, a white dress, a headband and her favorite rattle toy.”
Hickman, of Jacksonville, Fla., said his daughter passed away in her sleep 23 years ago in Germany where he was stationed in the Army. He was quickly relocated to Augusta and buried her body at Hillcrest Memorial Park on Deans Bridge Road.
“Last year, we decided to exhume her body, cremate the remains and carry whatever ashes with us since we no longer live close,” he said.
He said officials asked if they wanted some dirt from the plot for their ceremony, which rubbed him the wrong way.
“I know 23 years is a long time; I’ve made peace with God knowing her soul is with Him in a better place, but now this,” he said. “It’s like the scar got ripped open and I’m twenty one years old all over again. I just want to know where my daughter’s remains are. I pray this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Hillcrest General Manager Clifton Atwood referred questions Wednesday to a corporate office in Texas. Spokesperson Christopher James released this short statement: “We respect the privacy of the families we are honored to serve and, as result, we are unable to discuss this matter with the media. However, we can say that we are working closely with the family.”
Hickman said Wednesday night that he planned to file a report with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to see if any investigation could help.
A video Hickman posted from Hillcrest has gone viral as the mystery deepens with many local residents expressing concerns since some have relatives buried there.
Katie Starr Rose said, “I have family buried there and my grandfather didn’t have a plaque until my grandmother passed in 2020 now I am worried he wasn’t buried there now. I am so sorry for your loss and you need to call the funeral home that handled her burial.”
Christal Ortiz said, “I live here, less then a mile from this place and my parents are in this same resting place.”
Gwendolyn Baker said, “The bones should still be there in the casket. So you telling me the entire casket is missing? I’ll flip … out.”
