Could my friend face a legal problem?

A friend of mine at work, was keeping the ashes of a deceased woman, the mother of a lady friend of his, who had gone through a homeless phase. Now she is back on her feet, and wants the ashes back, but he has lost them. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Can the guy face legal repercussions when she finds out? He’s hoping he can locate them, but no luck so far.