HOUSTON – A Houston mother says she’s still waiting to receive her son’s cremated remains months after his funeral, on the heels of state investigators shutting down the funeral home she trusted during her time of grief.
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Katherine Kennebrew says her son was taken to Richardson Mortuary in southwest Houston after he died earlier this year. His funeral was held in February, but weeks turned into months with no sign of the remains she was promised.
“You’ve hurt me more than you could ever know,” Kennebrew said of the funeral home, fighting through tears.
Kennebrew said her efforts to get answers were met with silence and delays—until she saw a disturbing cell phone video last week, showing decomposing bodies inside the same funeral home. That video led to the state stepping in and closing the mortuary for alleged misconduct.
“It’s enough to have to say goodbye, and to see them in this type of condition is unacceptable,” she said.
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Despite the state’s intervention and the public outcry, Kennebrew still doesn’t know where her son’s ashes are.
“Right is right, wrong is wrong,” she said. “You pay for a service, you sign the contract. That was not fulfilled in a timely manner.”
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Kennebrew has filed a complaint with the Texas Funeral Service Commission, which is now investigating the funeral home. She is also working to find a way to verify any remains she may eventually receive.
Her message to others: Do your research.
“When you’re dealing with people like this, you’re not familiar with… you’ve got to do your research, see what comments and everything else,” she said.
Richardson Mortuary has not responded to repeated requests for comment.