There's no evidence that a spirit resides in the deceased's body, and there's no evidence that spirits move from one host to another via the tiny indentation between a thumbnail and its surrounding skin.
Of course there's no evidence that a spirit does not do that, but if you're concerned, consider these questions.
Why should a spirit wait until they're in a hearse before thumbing a ride elsewhere?
If a spirit could find its way out of a body, go through the walls of a coffin, out of the hearse, locate a suitable person, and squeeze in behind the thumbnail of that person, then couldn't that spirit easily find the thumb tucked inside a wrapped palm?