Family held funeral for missing woman after being told she was dead—7 months later, a text about her baffled them
When a loved one goes missing, even though you fear the worst, you hold on to hope for the best. Family members want nothing more than to reunite with the lost person and to know they’re safe. Shanice Crews, a mom of two, was reported missing in 2021, per Rochester First. Her sister, Shanita Hopkins, and other family members filed a missing report in hopes of uniting with Crews. Unfortunately, in April 2024, they were informed that Crews had passed away tragically. However, in November 2024, Hopkins was baffled to receive a life-changing message.
Crews had gone missing for three years, and the family was devastated when the police informed them that she had died. The autopsy report mentioned that she had overdosed, and traces of drugs were found in her body. The family was not allowed to view the body since it was decomposing and was in a bad state. Hopkins knew better and believed her sister could never engage in such acts. She noted, “Reading the autopsy was traumatic. It’s one thing to hear it, but then it’s another thing to actually read it. And then her name is attached to it. So we thought this is how she died (sic). And then we’re trying to think, did somebody lace her or did she do this on her own? There’s so much that goes into it. Your mind just goes crazy.”
Since the family didn’t get to view the body, they had to make peace with the information they received. They held a memorial service for Crews and began their long, grieving journey to healing. While the family was still trying to take in the news, Hopkins was stunned to receive a baffling message with a picture of her sister. “Her first message is, ‘Ma’am, I’m concerned…your sister is not dead,” Hopkins revealed. The random messenger said that Crews volunteered at an event recently. “My initial reaction was like, ‘What the…what? What am I reading right now?’” the sister remarked.
Hopkins involved the police and the medics to reevaluate the situation and to learn the truth. Initially, the authorities assured Hopkins that the deceased’s dental records matched with her sister’s. However, when she showed them the messages and picture, they did further testing. “We went the next day. They wanted my youngest sister because her and Shanice has the same mom and dad, and then they wanted her son. So both of them went and they did a DNA test, and when the results came back, they said it wasn’t a match,” Hopkins said. The family was confused, trying to understand whose ashes they had been holding dear and why all this unfolded the way it did. They have insisted on further investigation for both the identity of the deceased and the whereabouts of Crews.
The ashes of the former have been retrieved and Crews’ case has been reopened to locate and help bring her back to her family. Furthermore, Hopkins shared a poignant message with her publicly. She said, “I love her. I’ve been angry, I’m still angry – I don’t think I’m ever gonna get over the anger, but I know how it feels…I’m sorry. I know how it feels to think that she was dead, and I just want her to know that whatever we had going on, it doesn’t even matter. Like I love her, that’s it. That’s all I would want her to know.”