Burglars make off with remains _ of homeowner

LYNNWOOD, Wash. (AP) — Burglars in this north Seattle suburb apparently didn't know what they were stealing when they grabbed a little wooden box.

Turns out it was the cremated remains of the homeowner — 67-year-old Ken Heggen — who died of cancer in October.

Now Heggen's family is asking for his ashes to be returned so they can be spread in Puget Sound as they were planning.

Karen Heggen, one of six children, tells The Herald of Everett that one of her sisters discovered the burglary last Wednesday. She says the family was going through the process of separating things for the grandchildren when the burglary happened.

She says her parents owned the home on Lake Stickney for about 10 years. Ken Heggen's wife, Judy, died in March and both parents were under hospice care and died at home, Karen Heggen said.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is investigating the burglary, spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com