Tragic Mix-up in Florida: Two Irish Friends Wrongly Cremated Due to Fentanyl Poisoning

Florida authorities mistakenly identified the bodies of two Irish citizens who passed away from drug overdoses, resulting in a mix-up during their autopsies. This error led to the incorrect cremation of one of the bodies, officials confirmed.

In April 2022, Kane Mitchell, aged 30, and Luke Comiskey, aged 31, tragically lost their lives after ingesting drugs laced with fentanyl. One of the individuals had reportedly purchased the drugs from a man he had met just a day before.

Two friends from Dublin were living together in Pinellas Park, near St. Petersburg. The Pinellas Park Police Department reported that their employer found their bodies in their apartment after they missed work.

A Florida funeral home arranged for the men's remains to be sent back to Ireland, as stated in a letter from a Florida medical examiner’s office. One of the friends was cremated, while the other friend was not, according to the families' wishes.

In July, three months after the deaths of the men, their families discovered discrepancies in the autopsy reports. This led authorities to uncover a mistake in how the remains were labeled.

The families of the men later found out that Mitchell's remains had been mistakenly buried in Comiskey's family plot in Dublin. Correspondence between authorities in Florida and an Irish consulate general also revealed that it was Comiskey, not Mitchell, who had been cremated.

CNN recently found out about a mistake from a law enforcement source who preferred to remain anonymous because they are not allowed to talk to the media about the situation. Documents obtained through a CNN request confirmed the error, including letters from the Irish consulate in Atlanta to the medical examiner's office and investigators involved in the case.

According to William Pellan, director of Investigations at the District Six Medical Examiner Office, the men's identification was initially correct when they were first found. However, the mistake likely happened when their tags got mixed up during subsequent labeling. Pellan explained this in a letter written in August 2022 to the consulate general of Ireland in Atlanta, who oversees the southeastern US.

The men lived together in an apartment in Pinellas Park, close to St. Petersburg, Florida. As a result, the cremated remains thought to be Kane Mitchell's were actually identified as Luke Comiskey's in the letter from August 2022.

Our office is deeply sorry for the tragic situation," Pellan expressed.

"It is clear that they have been going through a difficult time recently, with the passing of their loved one and the mistaken identification and burial of his remains in Luke Comiskey's grave," the letter mentioned.

One of the victims had met the suspected drug dealer the day before the tragic deaths occurred.

CNN has contacted the families of the two victims for more information. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the situation and is offering consular support. However, a spokesperson mentioned that they cannot disclose further details as the Department does not typically comment on individual cases.

It's not known how long Luke and Mitchell had been living in Florida or where they were employed.

The man accused by the police of selling the drugs, James Richard Peoples III, 35, was taken into custody last month and is facing charges of two counts of first-degree murder related to their deaths.

Peoples communicated with one of the victims through text messages, mentioning he would provide "powder," a term commonly associated with cocaine, as stated in a Pinellas Park police arrest affidavit. He confessed to selling drugs at the victims' residence but denied supplying fentanyl, according to the same affidavit.

The public defender's office, responsible for Peoples' representation, chose not to provide a comment at this time. Peoples' upcoming court appearance is set for March 18.

The mix-up of the men’s remains was discovered three months later

The documents revealed bits and pieces of what happened in the wake of the men’s deaths.

In the August 2022 letter from the District Six Medical Examiner Office, it was mentioned that case numbers were assigned to each victim after the police informed them about the deaths.

According to the letter, arrangements were made for both deceased individuals to be transferred to Ireland for services and final disposition, as per the wishes of the families. On April 27, 2022, both decedents were released from the Medical Examiner Office to a local funeral home in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The medical examiner's office sent the autopsy reports to the families in July 2022 after a toxicology report attributed fentanyl toxicity as the cause of death for both individuals. It was in the August letter from the medical examiner's office that the families of the victims learned about the mix-up.

The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center in Largo, Florida -- home to the medical examiner's office.

The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center in Largo, Florida -- home to the medical examiner's office.

Chris O'Mera/AP

The letter said they noted some discrepancies in the physical descriptions contained in the autopsy and notified the medical examiner’s office two weeks later on August 12, 2022.

After examining digital photos, old documents, and confirming previous injuries and tattoos on the victims, the medical examiner's office found that the remains were incorrectly identified. The letter stated that it is unknown when the mistake happened.

The letter mentioned, "There is a strong likelihood that the two deceased individuals were mislabeled either at the scene of death or during the transfer to the Medical Examiner's Office."

The letter mentioned a regrettable error that led to autopsy reports with incorrect decedent names and the release of decedents with the wrong identities at the Medical Examiner Office.

The District Six Medical Examiner Office did not provide further information in response to CNN's inquiry. However, in an email to CNN, it stated that the cases of the victims are currently part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Pellan, from the District Six Medical Examiner Office, mentioned in his letter from August that an investigation was initiated promptly after the family raised their concerns to them.

He assured both families that his office would cover any expenses related to the unfortunate series of events. Pellan also mentioned that he has been in regular contact with the families to provide updates and maintain open communication. Additionally, he has been in touch with the funeral homes in Ireland to discuss the situation.

Plans were being made to exhume Mitchell's body in order to confirm his identity using tattoos and DNA analysis, according to Pellan's August 2022 update. He mentioned that their forensic pathologists were ready to go to Dublin on the day of the exhumation to assist with verifying the victims' identities.

It is unclear if the body has been exhumed and identified, as CNN was unable to confirm. Pellan did not provide a comment in response to CNN's inquiry.

Authorities warn of the deadly perils of fentanyl abuse

Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than morphine, another common opioid.

Legitimate medical uses for fentanyl exist, such as easing the severe pain of cancer patients, as stated by Dr. Leana Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner. However, illegal labs run by drug dealers have also been producing fentanyl, contributing to a rise in overdose deaths.

A report released in February revealed that from 2003 to 2020, individuals who died while in Florida were 63% more likely to have succumbed to a drug overdose compared to those who passed away in other states. This report, which was published in the journal Injury Prevention, analyzed over 47 million death certificates in the United States.

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In 2022, Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement recorded 6,157 opioid-related deaths, showing a 4% decline from the previous year.

Pinellas Park Chief of Police Adam Geissenberger expressed concern over the impact of fentanyl abuse in a recent incident, emphasizing the need to seek justice and protect the community from the dangers of this lethal substance.

After the tragic deaths in Florida, the Irish community in New York, where both men had lived, came together to hold a memorial service. The service took place in May 2022 at St. Barnabas Church in the Bronx borough of New York City. During the service, friends and loved ones shared heartfelt memories of the two men, who were known to be very close friends.

One friend playfully teased Comiskey about his striking appearance, joking that men would instinctively hold their women closer whenever he entered a room. He was known as a loyal friend, talented in Gaelic football, soccer, and boxing, and had a passion for traveling. Comiskey enjoyed playing the guitar and had visited various countries, such as Australia and Spain.

Mitchell was fondly remembered as a "jack of all trades" who thrived in outdoor activities. He had a deep love for fishing and camping, and was known to set up a tent in nature even during rainy days, according to another friend.

Editor's P/S:

The tragic case of the misidentified bodies of two Irish citizens in Florida is a sobering reminder of the fallibility of human systems and the devastating impact of such errors on grieving families. The mix-up, which resulted in one man being buried in the wrong grave while the other was cremated, is a profound betrayal of trust and a source of immeasurable anguish for their loved ones. The circumstances surrounding the mistake, which occurred during the labeling process, raise serious questions about the protocols and procedures in place to ensure the proper identification of deceased individuals. The consequences of this error are not only emotional but also extend to the legal and ethical implications of the case.

Moreover, the article highlights the insidious and deadly nature of fentanyl abuse, which has become a major public health crisis. The potent opioid is responsible for a staggering number of overdose deaths, including the tragic loss of these two young men. It is imperative that we raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and invest in prevention and treatment programs to combat this epidemic. The authorities must also intensify their efforts to apprehend and prosecute drug dealers who knowingly distribute this deadly substance, putting countless lives at risk.