Wants her late daughter’s phone returned – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

A South Florida woman’s daughter passing away. As part of an investigation, police confiscated her daughter’s phone. A year later, police still have it. Her family wants it back. Do police have to give it to them? It’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.

Spend some time with Kandi and you realize you’re with a special person.

Kandi Harris: “At one point, I had four boys and a girl. Two of the boys were foster children whom I got permanent custody of.”

One of the children she was lucky to bring in: Kailagh, who Kandi credits with getting her through her battle with cancer.

Kandi Harris: “I mean, she was my main support all through cancer treatment. She was right by me the whole time and she encouraged me to take that celebration cruise, you know.”

Kandi listened to her daughter and took a cruise. Kailagh stayed home to take care of her cats and Kandi’s dog, Oliver, and then came the phone call.

Kandi Harris: “She was found on the kitchen floor deceased.”

The healthy Kailagh with no known conditions was dead. Margate Police investigated.

Kandi Harris: “They said there was no sign of a break-in, no sign of forced entry. She didn’t have marks on her body. They didn’t know.”

A detective took Kailagh’s cell phone as part of the investigation. That was a year ago.

Kandi Harris: “The detective said he can’t give me the phone until they have an official cause of death.”

As Kandi mourns, she is filled with emotions. One for going on the cruise her daughter suggested she take….

Kandi Harris: “I felt guilty for going.”

Patrick Fraser: “Yeah, but that’s not your fault.”

Kandi Harris: “Yeah, but if I were here, maybe I could have saved her.”

Kailagh’s phone is in Kandi’s name, and she paid the monthly bill. But that’s not why she desperately wants the phone.

Kandi Harris: “I just want her pictures. She’s got two cats that she, they’re her babies, and I know she would constantly take selfies with her kitties.”

Kandi says it makes no sense to her why she can’t have it. Kailagh was cremated right after she was found dead, and Kandi doesn’t believe a toxicology report can take a year, blocking her from getting her daughter’s phone.

Kandi Harris: “Cause I can’t have her. I could at least have the pictures.”

Well, Howard, Kandi has her daughter’s ashes, but a year later, she can’t get her phone back. Right or wrong?

Howard Finkelstein: “This is wrong, painful to Kandi, and unnecessary. I say unnecessary because the police could have downloaded the information on the phone on the first day and returned it to Kandi. A toxicology report takes weeks and not a year. This doesn’t make sense, and they need to return the phone.”

I contacted the Broward Medical Examiner’s office. They told me the cause of death was ruled undetermined.

I then spoke to Margate Police. They wrote back: “Death Investigations do take time, and some reports come faster than others,” adding they had “just received the final report and would be reaching out to the family regarding the return of the cell phone.”

Kandi then picked up her daughter’s phone.

Kandi Harris: “Overwhelming. It brings me peace to hold the phone.”

As she scrolled through the phone, she saw a picture of her dog Oliver that Kailagh had taken on the day Kandi went on the cruise. Kailagh had said she would send it to show Oliver was OK. She died before she could.

But now, after Kandi’s call to Help Me Howard, she has all the pictures.

Kandi Harris: “I’m so thankful. I don’t think I would have the phone back or have a cause of death or anything if you all hadn’t stepped in. I really, really appreciate this. What you do to help people is wonderful.”

And we get to meet wonderful people like you, Kandi.

Now Kandi didn’t know the password to open Kailagh’s phone. She tried a few things and failed. That night she told me Kailagh came to her in a dream and told her the password. Kandi said she woke up, tried it, and the phone opened. Wow!

With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser 7News.

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Reporter: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]
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