DENVER -- The family of 64-year-old Imogene Jackson is accusing Pipkin Mortuary of losing her body.

Family members told 7NEWS, when they went to the funeral home for the wake Friday night, someone else’s body was in the casket.

"My wife called me and told me the body in the casket is not Mrs. Jackson," said Thomas Washington, a close family friend. "I said, 'Where is the body?' You know, they don’t know where the body is."

The family said they spoke to the owner, Mark Pipkin, and were given several excuses about how the mix-up happened.

However, it wasn’t until Saturday morning that the funeral home notified the family that they had found Mrs. Jackson.

"It’s still shocking to me. I still can’t understand how they could do something like that," said Washington.

When 7NEWS attempted to ask Pipkin how the apparent mix-up happened, he refused the opportunity to answer questions.

Funeral home workers wouldn’t comment either.

"The funeral home has the responsibility to provide the care, the service, and supporting the family. That’s their responsibility," said Dianne Harrell, a family friend. "They need to answer to someone for this horrible mistake."

Pipkin Mortuary could have to answer to D.O.R.A., the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. As of January 1, 2010, mortuaries and crematories are required to be registered with D.O.R.A. Before then, there was no state regulation of these types of businesses.

According to legislation passed last year, if D.O.R.A finds negligence in this case, Pipkin Mortuary could have to pay thousands of dollars in fines, or someone could face jail time.