In late 2023, 22-year-old Tyler Chase of Portland, Oregon, checked in with the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) because he was having trouble accessing benefits, only to find out he’d been dead for months, according to the government agency.
When Chase received that grim update about his well-being, Chase was living in a drug and alcohol recovery center, according to KPTV.com. Earlier in 2023, a man was found dead from an overdose in Portland with Chase’s ID but no picture, leading authorities to declare Chase dead. Chase’s family was notified he had died, and they received what they were told were his cremated ashes. Who those ashes belonged to is unclear, as was the real identity of the man found dead.
Speaking with Fox 12, Chase said:
“I go to DHS, and they asked me to enter my social security and everything, and they were like ‘alright we’ll see if we can help you fix this’ … And then all of the sudden they start interrogating me and were like ‘Oh can we see your ID?’ So I gave it to them and then they just looked as confused as I was and they’re like ‘right here it says you are dead.’”
via KPTV.com
Chase’s family got the good news
The government agency later admitted its mistake. According to The News Tribune, authorities told Chase’s cousin, Latasha Rosales, that her cousin was alive. “It is so hard to believe how something like this could even happen. It just makes no sense to me,” Rosales said.
Oregon authorities said the form of temporary ID used to identify the deceased individual would no longer be sufficient, and that fingerprints would also be used going forward.
According to a Multnomah County spokesperson,
“The medical examiner’s office also launched a comprehensive review to identify any gaps in current practices and is working to implement an institutional change. Going forward, all individuals who are found with a temporary state-issued identification must also have fingerprints submitted for positive identification, to ensure that this will never happen again.”
via Fox 12
The family of the person who died has reportedly now been notified.