Troy, N.Y. (WNYT) – Jennifer Brunson is demanding accountability.

“This was my father, my hero,” she said. “And I feel like his remains have been desecrated. For all I know, his final resting place is that pile of rubbish right there.”

Brunson got a call January 4 about a fire at her longtime family home on Fifth Avenue in Troy. Her sister told her that police were taking her father’s ashes to be tested.

Police say they tested the remains for drugs/hazard.

Jennifer couldn’t believe her ears. But she’s not upset about the testing– it’s about what happened afterwards.

“After everything was done and the house was boarded up and the Red Cross had left and we got situated, I went to the police department that night,” she said. “I explained the situation and then I was told that there were procedures and I wouldn’t have to worry about anything being thrown away and they gave me the evidence tech’s name.”

She says she asked him what happened to the ashes and was told no one asked for them back.

“Why would I have to ask for my father’s remains back? Why would my sister, while our house is burning, have to think to ask you for it back?” she asked.

“It’s the only thing I have left of my father. My father was a single father. He raised me by himself. He was my hero. When I lost him, it was devastating, and that feels like this all over again,” Jennifer said, through tears.

In a favorite photo, her beloved father Thurman McAffry, holds a baby deer he saved and protected.

All she has left of his remains now is a damaged urn that had pride of place at her wedding, the urn she talked to every birthday to give her dad an update.

She’s spoken to police, and to Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello.

“I feel like there’s no accountability. And I don’t understand how it’s okay to treat people like this,” she said. “And for this officer, it was just Saturday night at work, but for me, this is one of the most traumatizing things I’ll ever go through.”

Brunson is in the process of making a records request for body camera footage.

Response from Troy police: “Our Sergeant who oversees our Evidence Technician Program has been in communication with Ms. Brunson. By our review of discussing with TFD/TPD personnel, individuals who were at the scene of the fire and review of bodycam, the urn was originally inside the 2FL apartment that was heavily impacted by the fire. Based on information at the scene TFD requested a Police Evidence Technician field test a substance for potential drugs/hazard. It was tested at the scene and determined to not be hazardous. The container, which we now know to be the referenced urn, remained at the scene and was heavily damaged by the fire. The remains that were originally in the urn also remained at the scene and we believe were heavily impacted by the fire.

Our Sergeant, along with various members of City administration, remains in contact with Ms. Brunson and will continue to answer any questions she has with the information we have available, including the interview of the other family members that were at the scene while TFD/TPD were present.”

Response from the spokesman for Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello: “Since Mayor Mantello and our office have been made aware of the issue, I, along with Mayor Mantello, Assistant Police Chief Steve Barker, and Fire Chief Rich Cellucci have been in contact with Ms. Brunson regarding the remains of her father’s ashes. The mayor has offered every bit of help we can give to assist Ms. Brunson as well as expressed our heartfelt condolences for what her and her family are going through during this difficult time. Ms. Brunson requested body camera footage from the evidence technician who was on scene during the fire, and I provided her the information to submit a FOIL request to obtain that information, which we have since received and are currently processing.

We want to make it clear that no member from the City of Troy Police or Fire Departments have removed the ashes from the property. When firefighters discovered what turned out to be Ms. Brunson’s father’s ashes, they were unaware that’s what it was at the time. To ensure their safety, the firefighters called in the evidence technician to test the remains to make sure it was not any form of narcotic that could be harmful. After the test showed that it was negative for any type of narcotics, the evidence technician placed what remained of the urn on the ground near the entryway of the property so that it could be salvaged by the family. It is very likely that during the fire fight, the urn was damaged due to extreme heat and/or water pressure from a fire hose.

The firefighters have no way of determining exactly what happened to the urn because they are unable to have full vision when they are in a structure that is on fire with smoke surrounding them. Mayor Mantello has offered to Ms. Brunson that she can come to the police station to review the body camera footage herself when her FOIL request has processed. Mayor Mantello and our office will continue to be helpful in any way we can.”