By 3 News online staff
The mystery man who interrupted a Christchurch funeral on Wednesday has contacted the deceased man’s family asking if he can “raise the body”.
Police are on the hunt for the man, known as ‘Cameron’, and are looking into organising security for the cemetery.
He told the deceased’s family he would hire heavy machinery and exhume the body, inviting them to meet him at cemetery at 11am today.
It comes after ‘Cameron’ turned up at the funeral, walked up to the casket, banging his hands on the coffin and telling the deceased to “wake up”.
Harold Richie was being farewelled by friends and family at the John Rhind Chapel in Richmond, when the interruption occurred, The Christchurch Star reported.
Midway through the ceremony the man in his 20s stormed into the chapel with a bible and began chanting over the coffin, says Mr Richie’s daughter Jeanne Kiddie.
She says his hands were in the air shaking and he was speaking in tongues.
“He picked up the photo of dad from the coffin and studied it for a while and then he went down on his knees and shouted, ‘Wake up Harold!’ and thumped on the casket,” she told The Star.
"I was horrified, absolutely horrified.”
Mrs Kiddie says she thought the man might attempt to open her father’s coffin, but after his performance he simply bowed and sat down.
She later discovered the man was not known to her father but was a member of the Fellowship Church.
He told guests he’d attended the funeral to “spread God’s words”.
3 News
source: newshub archive
