Cryogenics Firm Sued For $1million

Kurt Pilgeram, 57, is seeking $1 million (£789,000) from Alcor Life Extension Foundation for cremating his father's body and leaving his head to be frozen. 

 

Dr Laurence Pilgeram was a scientist who supported the research of the ageing process. He had arranged for his body to be preserved in the hope that one day he may be resurrected if future technology is invented to achieve this. It has been reported that he spent $120,000 (£95,000) to preserve his body indefinitely. 

 

Following Dr Pilgeram's death in 2015, Kurt Pilgeram received most of his father's remains in a box of ashes. He was also told that his father's head would remain frozen at the Cryonics facility. "They chopped his head off, burned his body, put it in a box and sent it to my house," Pilgeram told local newspaper the Great Falls Tribune. "Mutilation is basically what they did."

 

Despite suing Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Mr Pilgerm has claimed that he doesn't believe in cryonics. He just wanted to repect his father's dream of being brought back to life one day. "They're selling pie in the sky" he said. "It's not based in science. It's based in science fiction more than anything else."

 

Alcor, a US non-profit organisation denies that they have breached any contract. They have insisted that Laurence Pilgeram was aware of the process following his death. James Arrowood, a lawyer for Alcor, told The Daily Telegraph: "I think a lot of people don't know there's actually a logical basis for just saving the head. In this particular case, Laurence Pilgeram was absolutely aware of that."

 

Alcor have also accused Mr Pilgeram of trying to cash in on his late father's life insurance which was set aside for the cryonics procedure. The case has been lodged in California and a trial is expected to be heard in 2020.