HOUSTON — The Houston Police Department said at least 10 bodies found inside the Richardson Mortuary Friday were laying on the ground and on cardboard.
Videos posted to social media showed the bodies in what loved ones described as horrifying and unacceptable conditions. The online videos quickly circulated, and more families began showing up after recognizing their loved ones.
The Texas Funeral Service Commission said the bodies were moved to other locations due to the conditions, at the request of the mortuary owner. The agency said the building suffered damage from Hurricane Beryl.
Families spoke to KHOU 11 News on Saturday, saying they just want the bodies of their loved ones returned to them. One family said a funeral scheduled for Saturday took place — but with a different funeral home.
Other families said they are still in limbo, adding that getting information on how they can get their loved ones back is proving to be difficult. So KHOU 11 News worked to get those families some answers.
KHOU 11 News called a given phone number to loved ones, who were told they could contact that number to get more details about the next steps. However, the person who answered the phone said the number should not have been given out, and they said they were strictly a transportation service for mortuaries.
The person on the phone then directed KHOU 11 News to the main Richardson Mortuary number. No one picked up, and we left a voicemail sharing the concerns of the families we had spoken to.
HPD said the retrieval of the bodies is not part of their criminal investigation, and the issue would likely need to be settled between the mortuary and the families.
KHOU 11 legal analyst Carmen Roe agreed and said, “It’s a civil matter. They need to call another funeral home to pick up their loved one, but they can’t remove a body from a mortuary.”
As for any other possible charges, Roe added, “Depending on what an investigation into the mortuary uncovers, it is also likely that criminal charges could be filed for abuse of a corpse.”
HPD said a man was reportedly stabbed inside the mortuary after a confrontation broke out between a worker and a family member of one of the deceased. Police said they were only investigating the stabbing.
But an HPD spokesperson added that in terms of any criminal offense involved with the condition of the bodies in the mortuary, that would likely be determined by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Funeral Service Commission.
The Texas Funeral Service Commission has a consumer complaint form that can be filled out. It asks for supporting documentation and details of the complaint, including why the complainant believes the establishment violated funeral service laws.
Roe added that she expects to see civil lawsuits from the grieving families.