A confrontation at Richardson Mortuary in Houston turned violent after disturbing footage of decomposing bodies inside the facility surfaced online, prompting a visit from concerned family members.
Richardson Mortuary stabbed family member
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the incident has sparked a criminal investigation into both the facility’s handling of remains and a stabbing that occurred during a heated exchange.
The chaos began when a video showing what appeared to be multiple corpses left in unsanitary and unsafe conditions was uploaded to social media by a relative of one of the deceased.
The footage quickly circulated, alarming viewers and causing several families to rush to the funeral home to check on the status of their loved ones.
Among those who responded was a woman who recognized her deceased grandmother in the footage.
She later told local station KTRK, “I saw a lady in purple in the same suit as my grandmother, so I said, ‘Wait a minute, that look like my grand momma.’”
“This was March the 21st and she was supposed to be cremated already, and we been waiting on her ashes and nothing having been happening,” she added.
The situation intensified when an employee of Richardson Mortuary allegedly stabbed the man who had taken the viral video.
While neither the mortuary worker nor the victim have been publicly named, the man claimed on camera to KRIV, a local Fox affiliate, that he was taking himself to a hospital after the incident.
Authorities described the injury as a superficial wound to the abdomen and indicated the possibility that the worker may have acted in self-defense. The stabbing remains under investigation.
Family members describe how they found loved one’s stored at Richardson Mortuary
Tamara McGruder, sister of the injured man, described to KTRK the conditions inside the building.
She and her brother had visited the mortuary to inquire about the remains of their mother and uncle.
Once inside, McGruder said they found numerous bodies left out in the open, stored in caskets, boxes, or plastic bags.
The mortuary, which appeared to be under renovation, reportedly lacked functioning air conditioning throughout.
“It’s bodies in caskets, boxes, plastic bags. Its no A/C, its gnats. It smells like rotten blood,” McGruder told the station.
She described the horror at seeing her mother’s remains: “She had gnats in her face.”
Another woman, Demtrious Riley-Sylvester, told KRIV her family had been informed by mortuary staff that her brother’s body had been cremated.
She later discovered this was untrue. “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,” Riley-Sylvester said.
Woman arrested for selling human bones
In a separate but equally bizarre incident in Florida, a woman who co-owns a novelty shop has been accused of selling real human bones.
Authorities say 52-year-old Kymberlee Schopper, a co-owner of Wicked Wonderland in Orange City, was charged with unlawfully trafficking human remains.
Law enforcement alleged that Schopper was knowingly involved in the sale of genuine bones, which were displayed for purchase through online listings.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by WOFL, Schopper’s business partner, Ashley Lelesi, informed police that the shop had acquired numerous human bone fragments from private sellers.
The affidavit further stated that the remains had been sold as part of the store’s offerings, with some listed on Facebook Marketplace.
Among the advertised items were: two skull fragments for $90, a human clavicle and scapula for $90, a rib bone for $35, a vertebra for $35, and a partial skull priced at $600.
Law enforcement became involved after a local resident alerted them in December 2023 about the presence of authentic human bones for sale on the shop’s social media pages.
Police said that Lelesi appeared visibly uneasy when interviewed and admitted to not knowing that such sales were prohibited under Florida law.
She also claimed to have documentation for the purchases, though she was unable to present any at the time.
Schopper, when questioned by authorities, reportedly said that the bones were “educational models.”
However, Orange City Police Captain Sherif El-Shami clarified to the Daytona Beach News-Journal that selling human remains in the state is illegal, regardless of their origin.
The seized bone fragments were transported to the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office for analysis.
Investigators concluded that while some of the bones might be archaeological in nature, including fragments estimated to be between 100 and 500 years old, Schopper had knowingly listed them for sale.
Schopper was charged with the felony offense of buying or selling human tissue.
She was booked into Volusia County Jail on April 10 and later released after posting a $7,500 bond.
Her arraignment is set for May 1. Police say additional charges may be pending for Lelesi, though she has not yet been taken into custody.
