A widow has spoken of her shock after her husband's body was returned to the UK from a holiday in Cyprus without his heart. Michael Graley, 76, a retired cemetery superintendent from Oldham, Greater Manchester, died suddenly after complaining of leg cramp while on holiday with his wife Yvonne, 73, and their family.
He died just ten minutes after arriving at a hospital in Paralimni. Yvonne told the Sun: “The doctor came out of the room and said, ‘He’s dead’.” A pathologist conducted a post-mortem in Cyprus, but when the body was flown to the UK, officials noticed no cause of death was given on the certificate, necessitating a second post-mortem by the coroner’s office in Rochdale.
Yvonne said: “They said someone had removed Michael’s heart and so they cannot determine a cause of death. I was so shocked. It was horrible.” Cypriot police said the heart was sent to a research facility. His daughter Hayley, 47, said: “We’re so angry and need answers.”
The Cyprus Mail reported that the post-mortem was carried out on August 18, 2025, and some vital organs were removed for toxicological and histopathological analysis. However, it was unclear which organs were taken and whether they have been examined. The heart is often removed during autopsy to check for signs of heart disease.
The Rochdale Coroner's Office said its investigation is ongoing. The case echoes that of Kaydell Brown, 38, who died after cosmetic surgery in Turkey in 2024 and was repatriated with organs missing, including part of her heart.
