Widow Left Without Life Insurance After Paying Into It For Years

A Midwest City widow is left struggling to pay for her late husband's burial, after problems with her life insurance policy. Angelia Wright has been paying monthly fees toward life insurance policies for her and her husband for six years but is now told she can’t access any money from that policy.

The Problem

Angelia hasn’t been able to have a proper burial for her late husband because of the questions surrounding the policy.

“I've been waiting since February to bury my husband and he's still not buried. This is August now. I don't know what else to do,” said Wright.

Angelia Wright’s husband, Tommy, died in February of this year. She’s spent the last six months grieving the loss, but she’s spent those same six months battling a life insurance policy.

“I got $50,000 for him and $50,000 for me. We signed up for insurance in 2017,” said Wright.

Angelia took out the policy through her church, saying she didn’t want her five daughters or granddaughters to be burdened with funeral costs for her and her husband.

“In good faith I took out this policy,” said Wright.

But after Tommy died in February, she was told she can’t access any of the life insurance money and will have to pay for the funeral costs out of pocket.

“His ashes are still at the crematory, and they're not going to release it until I pay,” said Wright.

Angelia paid monthly fees through her church, where she’s been a member for over 40 years.

“It's called Southeast Church of God in Christ, it's one big organization here in Oklahoma City,” said Wright. “Mr. Adell is a financial advisor over these policies.”

Comments From The Financial Advisor

The church used Adell Financial Group, a financial advisor run out of Frisco, Texas, to get hundreds of congregation members a group policy on life insurance through Lincoln Insurance.

News 9 called the financial advisor, Dedrick Adell to get to the bottom of what happened. Adell told us he’s working with the insurance company to figure out what went wrong and believes Wright’s claim can be reopened. 

“I felt like he was lying to me. I felt like he was telling me the check was on the way, don't worry about nothing. I need to get the money to bury my husband,” said Wright.

Comments From The Church

News 9 also contacted Bishop Coby, the presiding bishop over SE Church of God in Christ. On Tuesday, Coby told us he had planned a meeting for that afternoon to talk about Wright’s policy, but when we called Wednesday and asked about the outcome of the meeting, Bishop Coby refused to answer any questions.

Bishop Coby told News 9 he had no comment and would return our phone call when he had something to say.

“This is very upsetting to me,” said Wright.

Comments From Lincoln Insurance

News 9 also called and spoke to multiple representatives with Lincoln Insurance. We were told there is a claims manager looking into the case but were also told there was no policy in Angelia’s name. 

Lincoln Insurance gave us additional contact information for Angelia to reach out to and said they’re working to get to the bottom of what happened, but had no concrete solution for Wright at this time.

“Thinking that we had an insurance policy, thinking that we would be covered when we died, and to find out now that we don't have any insurance?” said Wright.

Where This Leaves Angelia Wright

While everybody continues working to figure out what went wrong, Angelia is stuck trying to figure out where to come up with over $7,000 she owes in funeral costs, and when she’ll finally be able to hold a proper burial for her late husband.

“That's going to have to come out of my pocket even though I paid - though I had insurance, come to find out I don't have insurance, now I have to come up with the money to pay for my husband's burial,” said Wright.

Angelia has been working with Lincoln Insurance on her own, and says she plans on hiring an attorney.

To donate to Tommy Wright's funeral fund, click here.