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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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CdA Murder Victims’ Bodies In Limbo

The bodies of a father and son murdered March 24 in Coeur d'Alene have not yet been buried. Eldon Samuel III, 14, is being charged as an adult with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of his father, Eldon Samuel Jr., 46, and his younger brother, Jonathan, 13. Samuel, accused of killing them in the family's home, is being held in the Kootenai County jail. The father's sister, Rosalie Samuel Clements, of Sunnyside, Wash., told The Press Thursday that her family is fighting to be allowed to properly bury the two victims. She cited legal issues with her brother's estranged wife, Tina McCurdy-Samuel, as the primary reason for the delay. McCurdy-Samuel, of Modesto, Calif., is the mother of the accused killer and Jonathan, the younger victim. Clements said for the bodies to be buried or cremated, McCurdy-Samuel must provide authorization and make payment arrangements. But McCurdy-Samuel has failed to do so, Clements said, and won't give other family members permission to step in/Keith Cousins, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: Seems to me that this family spat is adding indignity to the memories of those violently killed in this attack. Thoughts?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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