The care and handling of a deceased loved one’s remains can be a sensitive topic for those who have lost a family member. Recently, the owners of a Texas funeral home were accused of abusing corpses and now face state crime charges. However, they refute those claims and instead say they have been embroiled in a dispute with their landlord.
The owners of the funeral home claim that they were temporarily locked out the month before the bodies were allegedly found. Although it is unclear how long the doors were locked, it was apparently due to back-rent being owed. The landlord claimed that the two fell behind on rent again, and the funeral home owners claim that he returned to the business a second time in order to lock the doors again.
When he arrived at the vacant business, the landlord claimed that he found eight bodies that were decaying. He reported the bodies to local authorities, and the husband and wife that own the funeral home were separately charged with seven counts of abuse of a corpse. However, they say that they were in the process of taking care of the bodies, and that they were all either being prepared for burial or to be transported elsewhere for burial.
A conviction regarding state crime charges for abuse of a corpse can carry a sentence of one year jail time and a $4,000 fine in Texas. As the circumstances surrounding these charges appear to be somewhat unusual, the accused — alongside their defense team — may benefit from a careful review of the allegations and evidence. Doing so can prepare them to proceed in such a way that will focus on achieving the most favorable outcome possible.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Mortuary Owners Abused Corpses, Texas Authorities Charge”, , July 18, 2014