USPS gives WINK Investigates first look at Fort Myers facility after missing cremated remains case sparked national changes

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) - More than a year after the cremated remains of a Port Charlotte widow’s husband disappeared inside the USPS system, the United States Postal Service invited WINK Investigates inside the Fort Myers facility tied to the case.

The tour offered a behind-the-scenes look at the newly upgraded Sorting and Delivery Center near Page Field — a facility USPS says now features faster sorting technology, improved organization systems, updated employee workspaces and next-generation delivery vehicles.

During the tour, USPS said the facility represents the future of mail delivery in Southwest Florida.

However, for Port Charlotte resident Stacie Claytor, the building represents something very different. It’s the last place her husband’s cremated remains were scanned before disappearing for 11 days.

WINK Investigates pressed USPS officials with tough questions about accountability, missing packages, and whether the new improvements would actually prevent another family from experiencing what Claytor went through.

“My package was sitting at the bottom of a bin for 11 days.”

Back in February 2025, WINK Investigates introduced viewers to Claytor, a Port Charlotte widow desperately searching for her husband’s ashes after the postal service lost track of the package.

“They have lost my husband’s remains, and they have really treated my entire family poorly through all of this. We can’t get anybody on the phone,” Claytor told WINK Investigates during her first interview.

After WINK Investigates began pressing USPS officials for answers and reaching out to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., the package was eventually found.

Claytor later learned from USPS that it had never left the Page Field facility.

“That package was sitting in one of those big carts with mail on top of it, sitting at the bottom, covered with mail for 11 days,” Claytor said during a recent interview with WINK Investigates.

USPS protocol requires cremated remains to be handled directly from employee to employee with a documented sign-off process.

“Their protocols for cremated remains are that they are in your hand, you hand them to the next person, and that person is supposed to take control of that package. And there is a sign-off process,” Claytor said. “Well, none of that happened.”

USPS opens doors after denying tour request

During the original investigation, WINK Investigates requested a tour of the Page Field facility because that was where the package was last scanned.

Those requests were denied.

At the time, an employee inside the facility spoke with WINK Investigates, under the condition of anonymity, out of fear of losing their job.

The postal worker revealed, “Employees are upset and angry with management’s lack of handling the loss of one’s loved one’s cremated remains, only hearing about this via your news report.”

More than a year later, USPS invited WINK Investigates inside as part of a media event showcasing modernization efforts.

Postal leaders say more than 150 sorting and delivery centers have opened nationwide as part of USPS’s larger transformation strategy.

USPS showcases upgrades and new technology

During the facility tour located off of N. Airport Road, USPS leaders showed off their operational and workplace improvements.

The Postal Service says the Fort Myers facility serves more than 107,000 customers across Southwest Florida and is part of a nationwide modernization effort that has included more than $21 billion in investments over the past five years.

The facility now includes:

• High-speed sorting machines capable of processing thousands of packages per hour
• Improved organizational systems
• Renovated employee workspaces and break areas
• New package cages and equipment designed to maximize space
• Next-generation delivery vehicles, including electric models

Fort Myers Postmaster James Chambers said the upgrades are already improving operations.

“We've got better automation, better processing capability, better opportunity for our customers to interact with us, better ways for our employees to interact with us,” Chambers said. “So it's changed a lot. As far as communication, safety, performance and service changed a lot for us.”

While the upgrades focused on Southwest Florida residents, it also focused on USPS employees.

WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean asked, "Were there concerns prior from employees or the unions regarding  experience working here?"

Chambers said, "Not so much concerns... They were excited to see that we were investing really in them and giving them the tools that they needed to do their jobs."

USPS leaders also said the upgraded sorting technology is designed to reduce “missorts” — packages sent to the wrong location.

When asked how much the improvements cost at the Fort Myers facility, a USPS representative said, "I have provided all the information available at this time," but added, "Cumulatively, our network and transportation reforms have generated approximately $1 billion in savings through the end of FY 2025."

USPS pushes back when asked about the missing cremated remains case

During the only interview offered to media following the tour, WINK Investigates asked Fort Myers Postmaster James Chambers whether the new improvements would help prevent situations like Claytor’s from happening again.

The exchange was quickly interrupted by a USPS public information officer.

WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean to Postmaster Chambers: “I have to bring up a previous report that I did over a year ago in regards to a Port Charlotte woman's — her husband's missing cremated remains package...”

USPS Public Information Officer Carol Hunt: “Again, I have to interject.”

WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean:  “I’m bringing it back to the tour...”

USPS Public Information Officer Carol Hunt: “I have to interject. Any issues with regards to service, I am happy to address those. But today's tour is to highlight our facility, not an inquiry from a year ago. I ask that you please respect that.”

WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean: “Okay… for missing packages — are the new improvements going to help with missing packages?”

Postmaster James Chambers: “Yes… the sorting capability is very accurate, and so it keeps our missorts down to where we don't have that issue as much as we used to.”

Chambers later said the facility’s sorting technology is now about “99.5% accurate." Without the new technology, he said about 93% accurate.

WINK Investigates showed the interaction to Claytor.

“I think it's kind of deplorable that that's the answer is we're not going to discuss what happened in the past, but the past is what's led up to this,” Claytor said.

She said she believes USPS still has a larger accountability problem.

“You can change all the machinery you need or the package processing that you need at the post office, but until you change the culture at the post office, what's the point?” she said.

Widow says new technology doesn’t erase past failures

Despite the improvements, Claytor said she still has concerns.

“I'm sure that it was long overdue to do some upgrades to their system, but I still don't have a lot of confidence that things will get where they need to be,” she said.

Claytor acknowledged the changes but questioned whether the upgrades address the deeper issues she experienced during the search for her husband’s remains.

She also said she never heard from anyone at the Page Field facility while her package was missing.

“Not one person at Page Field had the decency to call me and just say I'm sorry,” Claytor said.

National policy changed after WINK Investigates reporting

Shortly following the widespread attention surrounding Claytor’s case, USPS changed its national shipping policy for cremated remains.

The Postal Service now requires all cremated remains shipments to use specialized USPS Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains packaging designed to make the packages more visible during processing.

USPS previously told WINK Investigates: “The recent update regarding the use of postal-branded Priority Mail Express (PME) Cremated Remains packaging will ultimately aid in the safety and security of cremated remains shipments and increase visibility for processing and handling of these important mail pieces.”

Claytor said she hopes the improvements truly help other families avoid what her family experienced.

“I think that this is just a good opportunity for them to really think about again, what their culture is and just do better,” Claytor previously told WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean.  “I know I’m not the only person.”

If you are experiencing a problem with USPS and want the WINK Investigates team to take a look at your case, email WINKInvestigates@winknews.com.