A southwest Houston funeral home has been ordered to cease operations after a disturbing discovery of decomposing bodies and a reported stabbing sparked outrage among grieving families.
Richardson Mortuary, located on Brookfield Drive, is now under investigation by the Texas Funeral Service Commission after state inspectors found the facility failed to meet building, health, and safety codes. A cease-and-desist letter dated April 14 also cited unprofessional and deceptive conduct and ordered the business to stop operations immediately.
Houston police’s major offenders’ division is following up to see whether the bodies were improperly stored or mishandled.
Scott Bingaman, the Texas Funeral Service Commission Director, said part of their investigation is looking into the conditions of the bodies.
“The agency has heard alleged complaints concerning the condition of decedent remains,” Bingaman told KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun. “However, at this stage of the investigation, TFSC cannot confirm or deny the accuracy of those reports. As the investigation unfolds, more information may become available.”
READ MORE: Stabbing reported at funeral home in SW Houston; family claims bodies found in bad condition
What happened?
The shocking series of events unfolded after family members arrived at the funeral home last week and found bodies in what they described as deplorable conditions, allegedly due to broken air conditioning and ongoing construction inside the facility.
“I raised the casket up and I looked in it and it was my mom. Had gnats already on her, she was sweating,” said Tamara McGruber Crooks, whose mother’s funeral was scheduled for Saturday.
Her brother, who captured the mortuary’s interior on video and posted it to social media, was later stabbed by a funeral home employee during a confrontation. Houston police said the man drove himself to a hospital and was treated for minor injuries.
By the time police arrived, they said there were at least 10 bodies visible on the ground.
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Disturbing footage shared with KPRC 2 appeared to show several bodies in non-refrigerated rooms, some covered in plastic or only partially dressed, with construction debris scattered around the mortuary. In one room, a makeshift plastic divider separated bodies from caskets, and plastic jugs filled with unknown liquids sat nearby.
KPRC2 Reporter Corley Peel spoke with Murita Brown who rushed to the funeral home after seeing her grandmother’s body on the video posted on social media.
“She was a loving person. She fed everybody. She’ll give you the clothes off her back. And she was a fighter. She was in a wheelchair. She was paralyzed,” said Brown.
Brown said she recognized her paralyzed grandmother in the video and rushed to the scene.
“To see her arm kind of like draped off that stretcher, it’s just, it’s heartbreaking. But at the end of the day, I know God has this thing at the end of it all,” said Brown.
According to Harris County Precinct 7 Constable James Phillips, the funeral home owner told him he recently suffered a heart attack and is currently hospitalized. A state inspection of the facility was not scheduled until April 14, three days after the first reports emerged.
Some of the bodies were later transferred to Fort Bend Funeral Home, where CEO Bobby Swearington said his team is helping families complete their loved ones’ services. Swearington told KPRC 2 that the owner of Richardson Mortuary has been in the hospital for two weeks and that the building is under construction following damage from Hurricane Beryl.
KPRC 2 attempted to contact the mortuary, but no one was present during a visit to the location. The state funeral commission said additional penalties — including fines up to $5,000 per violation per day — may follow if the mortuary does not comply with their demands.
Families with loved ones once housed at Richardson Mortuary and seeking information are urged to call 713-396-2966.
