Remains had to be cleared out of Richardson Mortuary due to roof damage. The funeral home owner said the damage was caused by Hurricane Beryl.
HOUSTON — A man was reportedly stabbed inside a southwest Houston mortuary after families made what they called a horrifying scene inside.
It happened at the Richardson Mortuary at the intersection of Almeda Genoa Road and Almeda Road.
“There were bodies laid out on, on the ground and on, cardboard,” said Captain Jim Dale with the Houston Police Department.
They were the bodies of people who were already deceased, set to be cremated or prepared for funerals.
“I feel hurt because they have not one, but they have two of our family members,” said Tamara McGruder-Crooks. “My mother and my uncle.”
McGruder-Crooks had a bad feeling ahead of her mother’s funeral, which is set for Saturday. She says after repeated issues with the owner of Richardson Mortuary, she and her brother went to see for themselves.
That’s when they discovered their mother’s body — along with others — in unacceptable conditions.
“I said, ‘I’m not gonna leave without my mom’s body,’” McGruder-Crooks said. “And he said, ‘You’re gonna leave.’”
She described conditions as deplorable, recording video and posting it to social media.
“They’re on stretchers. They have gnats. They’re in boxes,” she said. “It smells horrible. They’re inside of caskets. They’re uncovered. They’re naked.”
A confrontation broke out with a mortuary worker. McGruder-Crooks said her brother was stabbed and rushed to the hospital.
Video showing the bodies quickly spread online, and soon, more families began showing up in shock.
“I saw on video that there were a lot of bodies over here,” said Demetris Sylvester, whose brother passed away in February.
Sylvester has been waiting on his ashes since then.
“No respect for the dead and no respect for the families,” she said.
She’s not the only one. Murita Brown said she recognized her late grandmother in the video circulating on social media.
“It’s a shock because he took care of my grandfather in 2013 and he did an awesome job, but to fail us now,” she said.
The bodies were moved to other locations due to the conditions, at the request of the mortuary owner, according to the Texas Funeral Service Commission. The agency says the building suffered damage from Hurricane Beryl, leaving grieving families to relive their loss all over again.
Houston police say the worker at the mortuary who is accused in the stabbing claimed self-defense. And the owner is at the hospital dealing with medical issues. At this time, police say there are no charges. And as for families, they’re left trying to figure out what to do now.