Man stabbed by mortuary worker in fight over condition of bodies, Texas cops say

Mitchell Willetts, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 13, 2025

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A Texas man was stabbed by a mortuary worker during a fight over the condition of bodies discovered at the facility, police say and news outlets report.

The man and his sister went to Richardson Mortuary in Houston on Friday, April 11, so they could discuss upcoming funeral services for their mother, but what they found inside shocked them, KRIV reported.

McClatchy News called and emailed Richardson Mortuary, but didn’t immediately receive a response.

The man took video at the mortuary and shared it on Facebook.

The building appears to be undergoing construction, but multiple bodies can be seen on gurneys, some fully covered, others partially uncovered, video shows. A hallway is completely filled with caskets and gurneys. He says flies and gnats are present around the bodies, and there is no air conditioning.

At some point after posting the video, police said the man got into a confrontation with a Richardson Mortuary employee, and the employee stabbed him, KPRC reported. The man suffered minor injuries, drove himself to a hospital and was later released.

Houston police say there were 10 bodies lying out inside the funeral home, KRIV reported.

“It’s hurtful when you’re already grieving to find out your mom is not being taken care of,” the man’s sister, Tamara McGruder-Crooks, told the station. “You have other people who do not even know their family is here laying on the table and these people are charging an arm and a leg, and the bodies are just laying there.”

Investigation underway

Scott Bingaman, director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission, confirmed that the family’s complaints about the mortuary are accurate, the Houston Chronicle reported. An inspector was sent to the facility, he added.

“This situation is abnormal considering that they’ve been there for as long as they have been,” Bingaman said.

The bodies have reportedly been out of proper storage since February, when the owner was hospitalized, he said. Bingaman said he’s also been told the building suffered damage from Hurricane Beryl at around the same time, and apparently has not recovered.

The mortuary has reached out to other funerary facilities and requested to temporarily store the bodies there, KTRK reported.

The worker claimed self-defense in the stabbing and the district attorney’s office has not brought charges, the station reported. Criminal charges also haven’t been filed against the funeral home, though an investigation is underway, police said.

“You could look at abuse of corpse, things of that nature, but we’ll know more as we go through it,” Capt. Jim Dale with the Houston Police Department told KTRK.