1010 WINS 9/11 Series: Families Want Dignity In Death For Loved Ones
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- In the years since the 9/11 attacks, family members of some victims still wonder how so many have been denied dignity in death.
Among those who expressed such sentiments is Diane Horning. She is the mother of 26-year-old Matthew Horning, who died in the attacks.
"When bin Laden was killed, he was afforded a proper and decent burial at sea according to his religious tenets," Horning told 1010 WINS' John Montone. "The people he killed have not been allowed that."
1010 WINS' John Montone Speaks With Diane Horning
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The remains of many victims, including Matthew Horning, were brought to the now-defunct Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, where families could pay their respects.
"We were told we would have at least the fine siftings that included human remains and tissue for burial. And then a year later, we found out they'd been systematically dumping it back in the landfill and/or using it to fill potholes," Diane Horning said.
For almost a decade, Horning said elected officials and courts have denied the families' pleas.
Reeling from grief, Horning was left waiting with other families for a chance to provide a proper burial for her son, but it never came.
Horning once again alluded to the fact that bin Laden's body was treated with more respect than victims.
"We all want the same thing that he had, the dignity and respect of a decent and proper burial," she said.
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