Two owners of a Houston funeral home have been criminally charged after investigators said multiple human remains were found decomposing inside the facility earlier this year, according to newly filed court documents obtained by KPRC 2.
INITIAL REPORT: Houston funeral home ordered to shut down after bodies found in disturbing conditions
Earlier this year, KPRC 2 reported that inspectors found several bodies inside Richardson Mortuary, located on Brookfield Drive, in “disturbing conditions.” State regulators with the Texas Funeral Service Commission immediately suspended the business’s license and ordered it to cease operations while the investigation continued.
Court records show Gayle Bell and Michael Richardson, the owners of Robinson Family Mortuary, each face abuse of a corpse charges following a months-long investigation into the funeral home, which was shut down by state officials in April.
READ MORE: Richardson Mortuary only ‘partially’ complied with state orders before closing
According to the charging documents, Bell is accused of “intentionally and knowingly treating a human corpse in a manner that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.” Investigators said the same language was used in Richardson’s case file
Court records further state that the alleged offenses occurred “on or about April 10, 2025,” the same day Houston police and health officials executed a search warrant at the mortuary. The Harris County District Clerk’s filings show both defendants were formally charged under Texas Penal Code 42.08 — a state law that classifies the abuse of a corpse as a felony offense.
READ: How to find out if a funeral home is legit in Texas
Those same prior reports say, families who had used Robinson Family Mortuary expressed outrage, saying they were not notified that their loved ones’ remains had not been properly handled.
The new charging documents provide additional legal context but do not, however, include detailed descriptions of what investigators discovered inside. Both Bell and Richardson are expected to appear before a Harris County judge later this month.