Three charged in funeral home brawl

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - A family fight at a funeral ended with three behind bars in Martinsville.

Emotions can peak at a funeral. Combine simmering family tensions and mounting grief, and you can get an explosive mix.

The Martinsville Kandy Kitchen in the heart of downtown is a century-old Martinsville mainstay. There you hear the town's talk. It’s the place where folks feed their sweet tooth and their curiosity with one stop.

"We have had a lot of people in here today and that's been the topic of conversation throughout the day," said Cindy Stuard, an employee at the sweet shop.

Stuard was referring to the family funeral feud that made the front page of the Martinsville Reporter-Times. The Nail brothers, Eddie and Dennis, were putting their mother to her eternal rest. But the brothers apparently couldn't put their hard feelings to rest.

Funeral director Kenny Costin said things were going as well as can be expected. The graveside service was over. The minister had stopped speaking and then, out of nowhere, the first fight broke out.

"My concern was that if somebody would hit their head on a monument. That could injure somebody or even cause somebody to get killed," said Costin.

Police broke up that fight and the family feud moved to Costin's Funeral Home.

"There were three or four people scuffling. I didn't realize that Chad was in the pile of those people," said Costin.

Chad Skaggs, Costin's cousin, also works at the funeral home. Chad was trying to break up the fight between the Nail brothers and Dennis Nail's wife, Deborah. Police had to resort to stun guns.

Dennis was shocked. And in the melee, so was Skaggs. But the funeral home employee took it all in stride.

"I think he's getting more ribbing from people about being (shocked) and everything. But he's doing fine," said Costin.

Kenny Costin said nothing in mortuary school could prepare him for this. But after 25 years as a funeral director, he's seen almost everything.

Edward Nail, Dennis Nail and Deborah Nail were all arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.