A Teen Allegedly Baked her Grandfather’s Ashes into Cookies and Served them to her Classmates

A teenage girl in Davis, California, who was not named due to her age, has been alleged to have used her grandfather’s ashes as a “special ingredient” in cookies that she handed out to her classmates. A classmate who spoke to reporters, Andy Knox, says that he was unaware of the ashes in the treats until after he took a bite. He described the cookies as “sandy,” and that the girl laughed and told him what they contained. “And I was really, I was kind of horrified,” he said.

Investigators said other students knew of the ashes before eating some of the cookies, and even told other classmates of what kind of cookies were baked. They said they are at a loss of motive, and that they are unsure of what crime the teenager could be charged with. It was not a heinous crime, there was no public health risk, and an obscure law making it illegal to mishandle human remains does not appear to deal with this type of activity.

Principal Tyler Millsap said in a statement posted on Facebook and emailed to parents that the incident “has been particularly challenging and we have responded appropriately and in the most respectful and dignified way possible.

See Paul Elias, A Teen Allegedly Baked her Grandfather’s Ashes into Cookies and Served them to her Classmates, Time Magazine, October 17, 2018.