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Houston: Man stabbed at mortuary after finding exposed bodies
A man was stabbed by a mortuary worker after checking on his mother's funeral arrangements. He found multiple bodies lying around the mortuary with no AC. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke to impacted families and received information from officials.
HOUSTON - A man was stabbed by an employee at a Houston mortuary after discovering bodies lying around the funeral home, according to officials.
Law enforcement at Houston mortuary
What we know:
According to the Houston Police Department, they received a report of an assault at Richardson Mortuary on Brookfield Street shortly before noon on Friday. The caller told police that someone had been stabbed.
The man who was allegedly stabbed told FOX 26 that he was being taken to the hospital. He stated that he had gone to the mortuary to check on his mother and found the building undergoing some construction. He posted a video to social media saying there were several bodies in the building with no AC.
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Man stabbed at Houston mortuary while searching for mother's body, family says
The sister of the alleged stabbing victim says that family went to the mortuary to check on their mother's body and found the building in concerning conditions. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke to the victim's sister and the mortuary owner.
HPD Captain Jim Dale says the man was stabbed by an employee at the mortuary.
The employee allegedly allowed the man to enter the building so he could check on funeral services for his mother.
After the man posted the video on social media, his family members arrived at the scene. The employee and the man allegedly got into a fight, and the employee claims to have stabbed the man out of self-defense.
The employee has not been charged at this time, according to Capt. Dale.
The victim allegedly suffered a "superficial wound" and was no longer at the hospital.
Officials say the owner of the mortuary was in a hospital during the incident.
What we don't know:
The employee has not been identified at this time.
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Houston: Police explain stabbing at mortuary
Police say a man was stabbed by a mortuary employee after he found bodies around the funeral home in concerning conditions. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia reports live from the scene.
Bodies found around funeral home
The backstory:
According to officials, at least 10 bodies were found lying around the funeral home. Capt. Dale says the bodies were lying on the ground and on cardboard.
The bodies are reportedly being transported to other funeral homes to be stored properly.
At this time, the owner of the funeral home has not been charged.
What we don't know:
Officials did not name the funeral homes that are taking in the bodies.
There is no information at the time on what conditions the bodies were in or how long they had been lying around the mortuary.
‘Very embarrassing’
What they're saying:
Two people who have family members at the mortuary spoke with FOX 26 about their discoveries.
Tamara McGruder-Crooks' brother was the one who was stabbed by the employee.
Crooks tells FOX 26 that she and her brother had been looking from outside the mortuary for days before deciding to get answers. They were looking for their mother's body, but they allegedly discovered multiple bodies in boxes, on the floor, and in caskets, in a building with no AC.
"It’s not dignifying. It’s very embarrassing. It’s hurtful when you’re already grieving to find out your mom is not being taken care of," she says. "You have other people who do not even know their family is here laying on the table and these people are charging an arm and a leg, and the bodies are just laying there."
Demtrious Riley-Sylvester says she was told her brother's body had been cremated, but has since learned that wasn't the case.
"It’s like some trash or a dog. Just throw him away like he’s trash and she had me believing. We were just waiting on them to bring the ashes," she says.
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Houston: Woman speaks on mortuary where bodies were found exposed
A Houston man went on social media after finding bodies lying around a mortuary. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with a woman who says her grandmother was supposed to be cremated at the mortuary.
The other side:
The owner of the building spoke with FOX 26 reporter Jonathan Mejia as the scene was unfolding.
He says he owns the building and rents it to the owner of Richardson Mortuary. He originally closed the building after Hurrican Beryl.
The owner said he didn't know what was happening inside, and he feels for the family. He says he found out the bodies were in those conditions this morning.
Investigations continue
What's next:
The Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff's Office will investigate the mortuary's conditions. According to Precinct 7 Constable James "Smokie" Phillips, a representative from a funeral association will investigate the building on Monday.
Houston Police will continue to investigate the stabbing incident.
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The Source: The information in this article comes from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Precinct 7, the mortuary, a phone call with the alleged stabbing victim, and others.