Mortuary worker stabbed family member who filmed bodies inside

A funeral home in Houston, Texas has become the center of national outrage—and a criminal investigation—after a disturbing video emerged showing neglected bodies piled in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The footage, taken by a grieving family member at Richardson Mortuary, quickly went viral on social media, sparking panic, anger, and now an official inquiry by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The graphic video, which shows bodies left in caskets, plastic bags, and even out in the open, was filmed by a man who had gone to the mortuary with his sister to check on the status of their deceased mother and uncle. Instead, they found what appeared to be a scene of utter neglect inside a building that was reportedly undergoing construction—with no air conditioning, insects swarming the area, and a strong odor of decay.

“It’s bodies in caskets, boxes, plastic bags. It’s no A/C, it’s gnats. It smells like rotten blood,” said Tamara McGruder, one of the family members at the scene. She added that her own mother’s body was visibly infested: “She had gnats in her face.”

😱 Chaos Escalates Into Violence
As the man filmed the scene, an employee of the mortuary allegedly confronted and stabbed him, according to local Fox affiliate KRIV. Authorities described the injury as a superficial stab wound to the stomach and indicated that the employee may have been acting in self-defense. The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. Neither the employee nor the victim has been publicly identified.

The viral video triggered a flood of concerned families, many rushing to the funeral home to check on the condition of their deceased loved ones. Among them was Murita Brown, who recognized her grandmother’s burial outfit in the footage.

“I saw a lady in purple, the same suit as my grandmother,” Brown told KTRK. “She was supposed to be cremated back in March. We’ve been waiting on her ashes—and nothing has happened.”

💔 More Families Speak Out
Another woman, Demtrious Riley-Sylvester, said she was told her brother had already been cremated—but the video proved otherwise.

“It’s like they just threw him away like trash,” she said. “We were waiting for them to bring us his ashes. She [the funeral home] had me believing he was gone.”

🚨 Ongoing Investigation & Owner Hospitalized
Harris County Constable Smokie Phillips confirmed to KTRK that the owner of Richardson Mortuary is currently hospitalized after reportedly suffering a heart attack. Phillips, who said he knows the owner personally, also confirmed that some of the bodies have been moved to other funeral homes for proper handling.