Mother traumatized after daughter's body was misidentified at a morgue

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City mother received a gut-wrenching call from police last week concerning her daughter.

"Your daughter was involved in a car accident and she's been killed," an officer told her over the phone.

"I said, oh my God, how did this happen," said Esther Pollard.

Pollard says her 38-year-old daughter, Nina, has been missing for over a year. She thought the call provided a tragic answer to what happened to Nina and where she's been.

Police told Pollard, her daughter Nina was killed in a crash near I-240 and Penn.

"We had been searching, I have pictures posted all over Oklahoma City," Pollard said.

When Pollard went to the morgue to identify Nina's body, it wasn't her.

"I was very traumatized to go in there all week expecting to see my daughter, and it was a totally different person," said Pollard.

Also adding, "It freaked me out, really. I was really upset," said Pollard.

She says the medical examiner tagged another body that had both Nina's name and date of birth.

"He [medical examiner] kept saying, that's her, he says, look at the structure of her face," said Pollard.

Pollard said she knew it wasn't Nina, adding that she'd recognize her daughter's features and a distinct tattoo she had.

She refused to believe and agree to the body being Nina's, so doctors took blood samples which proved a misidentification.

"The Coroner's Office called back the next day and said that was not Nina," Pollard said.

Pollard said this entire experience has traumatized her, as she still struggles with unanswered questions about her daughter's whereabouts.

"Now I'm wondering, is she out there alive somewhere? If so, why hasn't she been found," said Pollard.

Oklahoma City police did confirm to News 4, the body was misidentified. Authorities say they now know who that person is and have contacted the family.

When asking how a mix-up like this could happen, News 4 was told only the medical examiner's office could answer those questions. So far, they have not responded to KFOR's request for more information.

Nina's mother Esther says she did fill out a missing persons report months prior to receiving the call from police.

Pollard has asked if you recognize Nina anywhere in the OKC metro to please email her at estrelita.pollard@gmail.com.