Mother 'amazed' as son's ashes stolen from home recovered
A woman whose son's ashes were stolen from her home says she is relieved and amazed after they were found in a recycling bin more than 60 kilometres away.
Adriana Buccianti returned from work on Thursday night to find her house in Wollert, in Melbourne's outer north, had been robbed.
The house had been ransacked and the ashes of her son Daniel, who died of a drug overdose at a music festival in 2012, were missing.
Daniel, 34, a chef, died hours after taking “bad acid” while at the Rainbow Serpent music festival in western Victoria.
“I found the whole house trashed," she said. “They took everything. They delighted in trashing the place ...
“They took my son’s ashes. Who does that?”
“I was actually so numb, I thought my heart was going to stop.”
Ms Buccianti had kept Daniel's ashes in a box on her nightstand, with artificial flowers around them.
The thieves stole jewellery that had belonged to her son and her father.
On Friday afternoon she was notified that a woman had found the box in a recycling bin, along with a healthcare card and photos of her father. The woman had handed them in at Melton police station west of Melbourne.
“I’m amazed," Ms Buccianti said of the discovery. "I’m just astounded. Bless this lady. The universe works in mysterious ways.”
The discovery followed her emotional plea earlier in the day for help to find Daniel's ashes.
“I want my son’s ashes back. I don’t care who took them ...
“Just hand them back. I don’t care who you are. No questions asked.”