Cremation Case Closed-Funeral Directors Eye for Detail Identifies One Of Vermont’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives
The day that NFDA member Thomas Janosz, owner of Cain & Janosz Funeral Home in Manchester, New Hampshire, received a special commendation for his work never entered his mind. It was February 2005 and Janosz having just taken in Davies’ body, tried to acquire information about the deceased. The New Hampshire Medical Examiners Office approved Davies’ release from the hospital because it felt I had correctly identified him, but Janosz still needed information on Davies for the state death certificate and cremation permit. Janosz met with Davies’ girlfriend of 16 years to obtain the necessary data for the paperwork, but he did not get anywhere. All Davies’ girlfriend knew was his name, age and that he was from a small town in Vermont. When the girlfriend left, Janosz started playing detective. He called Elliot Hospital in Manchester where Davies died, to see if it had any information on him. Janosz found out that Davies had knee surgery there back in 2000, so he called medical records and turned up a social security number. “I thought that was a good sign, until they ran the number at social security and found out that it belonged to a woman in North Carolina. When I heard this, I was startled,” said Janosz. His suspicions aroused Janosz called the Manchester Police Department, and state and local welfare office, to see if Edward Davies’ name came up anywhere. Everything came back negative. “I called the New Hampshire Vital Records Department and asked how was I supposed to cremate a body with no Social Security, no real date of birth, and no parents names,” said Janosz. “I was told by an official that since the state medical examiner’s office identified the man, and I did all that I could to find out more information about him, there was no reason that I could not cremate him legally. I still did not feel good about all of this. ” It had been more than six hours since he received the body and it was getting late in the day Janosz felt he had run out of options, but he was not about to give up yet. He called Davies’ girlfriend once more to see if he could obtain even another shred of information about him. The girlfriend was hesitant at first, but after Janosz reassured her that he was not the law and that neither he nor any other funeral home could cremate Davies’ body without further information, she opened up a bit more. “She told me that he once went by the name of ‘Bissett’ of ‘bessette’ and changed his name soon after a traffic accident in Florida a few years ago,’ said Janosz. “She also thought (Davies) was born in September. Armed with this new information, Janosz called a local Social Security office, where a quick computer check revealed a person name Edward J. Bessette Jr. from Vermont was a social security number and parents’ names. Still unsure who presently resided in his funeral home, Janosz called New Hampshire Medical Examiners Office and relayed the new information. They thought this situation was strange as well and sent a staff member to Cain & Janosz Funeral Home to fingerprint the deceased. Within a few hours, it turned out that the body in Janosz’s possession was that of Edward J. Bessette Jr. one of Vermont’s top 10 most wanted fugitives. Besette had been wanted since 1988, charged with five counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 15. He lived in Florida briefly but had been living in Manchester as Edward Davies. Most appalling was the Besette-as Davies-had been working as a babysitter in the neighborhood. A few days after Janosz’s discovery he met with Vermont State Police Lt. Mark Lauer and U. S. Marshall Jim Gaines, who both expressed their gratitude for his meticulous search for the facts. “Quincy’s got nothing on Tom Janosz,” said Lauer , referencing the famous TV show coroner/detective. “Even though his colleagues told him to let it go and cremate the body, he pursued further. At any point, he could have walked away, but he didn’t. He was relentless. Today, with Bessette’s name off the books, the Vermont State Police will save considerable time and money when investigation a sexual assault committed in the state, according to Lauer. “This also put a huge closure on things for the victims and their families,” he added. “They’ve been looking over their shoulders for the past 16 years. They can relax now. ” Feeling that law enforcement owed Janosz a debt of gratitude for what he did. Lauer recommended him for a special commendation. On December 13,2005, Janosz and his wife, Myrta visited Montpelier, Vermont, where he received a special commendation from Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and the Vermont State Police, which reads: In recognition of your role in identifying one of Vermont’s most wanted fugitives. You were approached by an individual who wanted you to cremate the remains of her recently deceased companion. You became suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the request and were persistent in attempting to resolve your suspicions despite assurances from colleagues that you had done all you could. Your determination eventually led to the true identity of the deceased, bringing closure to the victim’s family and bringing a sixteen year manhunt to an end. Your actions are a credit to you and are honorably recognized by Vermont State Police. “This whole thing was so bizarre. I felt like I was living a CSI program, said janosz. Since this humbling event, Janosz has heard runblings of legislation in Vermont that would require funeral directors to verify Social Security numbers of the deceased before burial or cremation. This would prevent possible felons from slipping through the cracks in the future, just as Bessette might have if not for the persistence and eye for detail of Thomas Janosz.
If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.