BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A woman mentioned in a claim filed against the Kern County Coroner's Office alleging mishandling of remains is sharing her side of the story.
The claim was filed on behalf of the parents of 61-year-old Victoria Anne Marie Hampton, who was shot and killed on March 19. Hampton's father, Richard Escudero, said he was unaware of the shooting or that Hampton had died due to their estranged relationship. The first he learned about it was through a newspaper article on June 22.
Escudero called the the coroner's office to find out what happened to his daughter and was told that her remains were released to a woman claiming to be Hampton's sister, according to the claim. That woman was Teresa Cline, but she denies ever making that statement to someone at the coroner's office.
“She devised a will a year ago, I signed it, and that’s it," Cline said."The will just said that in the event of her passing for me to step in."
Cline said that she and Hampton had been close friends for over three decades.
"We were together all the time. Anyone who knew Vicky knew that I was beside her all the time," Cline said, referring to Hampton by a nickname. "Like sisters."
In fact, Cline claimed she was on the phone with Hampton when she was shot. Cline said after the shooting, she spent everyday in the hospital with her friend.
Cline said she knew that Hampton was estranged from her family and she had no means of contacting them. When Hampton died on April 1, Cline said she only went to the coroner's office to inquire about what would happen to the remains. She said she would have to send an email for more information.
“I emailed the person in-charge, never heard from them. This went on for over a month and everyone was telling me that if I didn’t do anything and no one stood up for her they would cremate her and no one would know what would happen to her," Cline said.
A month passed before Cline returned to the coroner's office. That's when she learned that Hampton's remains had not been claimed.
"I assumed the coroner’s had access to everything, that they would’ve done their due diligence, unless they might have reached out, I don’t know," Cline said.
“I called the coroner’s office and said, what’s going on? I’m the parent of Victoria Hampton, you didn’t notify me," Hampton's father Escudero said.
Escudero said he doesn't understand why he was never notified about his daughter's remains. He claimed that after he called the coroner's office, they pulled up Hampton's birth certificate and confirmed he was her father.
"It doesn't matter who the decedent is, you need to respect the remains," said Eugene Lorenz, Escudero's attorney. "You need to respect regular law there."
Cline said she wasn't trying to step on any toes. She said she only presented Hampton's will to the coroner's office in order to ensure a proper burial for her friend.
"I need to honor her wishes, she's already told me everything she wants," Cline said. "She wants to be cremated and she wants to be buried with her husband."
23ABC has put in a public records request for the coroner's protocols for releasing remains. The county has 45 days to respond before the claim becomes a lawsuit.
