A California woman has lost her bid to have the remains of her soldier son exhumed in Oklahoma and moved to his native state of California.
In a 12-page decision, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Robert Yonts ruled "there is no overriding public purpose justifying the disinterment of the remains" of Army Staff Sgt. Jason Hendrix, who was killed in Iraq in February.
The legal battle began in October between Hendrix's divorced parents, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
In what he described as "the ultimate custody battle," Yonts noted that all of Hendrix's immediate family -- with the exception of the mother, Renee Amick -- had testified that they strongly preferred that he remain buried in Tulsa, Okla.
"Jason's remains have already been dishonored by being held in cold storage for nearly six weeks between his death and burial," Yonts wrote. "To further disturb the repose of the deceased would be emotionally upsetting for all members of the family."
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