Texas Funeral Home Directors Charged After Police Find ‘Liquified’ and Decomposing Bodies in Hot, Unsanitary Room
HOUSTON, TEXAS — Two funeral home directors in Texas are facing felony charges after authorities discovered a dozen decomposing bodies, including one that was “largely liquified,” left in filthy, overheated conditions inside a Houston mortuary that was open to the elements.
Michael Richardson and Gayle Elaine Bell, both affiliated with Richardson Mortuary, were arrested last week and charged with three counts each of abuse of a corpse, according to Houston Police Department records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Horrific Discovery Inside Funeral Home
The investigation began on April 11, when police responded to a call from a woman who reported possible abuse of a corpse at Richardson Mortuary on Brookfield Drive. The woman said she had paid over $17,000 to Richardson to prepare her mother’s body and coordinate the funeral, scheduled for April 12.
When she arrived unannounced to drop off clothing for her late mother, she made a shocking discovery: her mother’s body was covered in bugs and badly decomposed inside a coffin.
“The building was open to the elements, very dirty, hot, not sanitary, and under construction with a strong odor of decomposition,” the affidavit stated.
The victim also saw several other bodies in various stages of decay scattered across the mortuary. Some were on gurneys, some inside caskets, and others left out in the open amid construction debris and broken furniture.
Viral Video Sparked Outrage and Investigation
The woman’s brother recorded video of the conditions inside the mortuary, later posting it to social media, where it quickly went viral. The footage showed more than a dozen caskets surrounded by trash and construction materials, prompting outrage from families and community members who gathered outside the facility demanding answers.
Authorities said a separate funeral company was then hired to remove and transport the bodies to a clean, temperature-controlled environment. That company’s owner later told police he found 12 decedents stored in a “dirty, hot room” with no working air conditioning or refrigeration.
One of the bodies, listed in records as “body liquified,” had decomposed beyond recognition, officials said.
State Orders Mortuary to Cease Operations
Following the investigation, the Texas Funeral Services Commission issued a cease and desist order on April 14, citing the funeral home for fraudulent, deceptive, and grossly negligent practices. The order accused the mortuary of dishonest and unprofessional conduct that posed a risk of public harm.
Both Richardson and Bell are scheduled to appear in Harris County Circuit Court on Oct. 15. Prosecutors requested $5,000 bond for each defendant, though neither was being held in custody as of this week.
Authorities also confirmed that the company responsible for transferring the remains had not been paid by Richardson or Bell for their services.
Community Shocked by Negligence
The discovery has sparked outrage among Houston residents and renewed calls for stricter regulation of funeral facilities across the state. Families whose loved ones were entrusted to the mortuary have expressed grief and anger, saying they were betrayed by people meant to handle their relatives with care and dignity.
Officials described the case as one of the most disturbing instances of funeral misconduct in recent Texas history.
As the case unfolds, investigators continue to examine whether other families may have been affected by the mortuary’s alleged negligence. For continued updates on criminal cases and public safety news across Texas, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.