Tonya Brown mentioned she introduced her son’s physique to Richardson Mortuary in 2023 and mentioned he was “dirty” and “swollen” throughout his funeral.
HOUSTON — Days after a number of our bodies have been present in what witnesses described as deplorable circumstances at a southwest Houston mortuary, one household mentioned they handled the same scenario previously.
The Houston Police Division mentioned no less than 10 our bodies discovered contained in the Richardson Mortuary Friday have been mendacity on the bottom and cardboard.
Movies posted to social media confirmed the our bodies in what family members described as horrifying and unacceptable circumstances. The net movies shortly circulated, and extra households started exhibiting up after recognizing their family members.
Tonya Brown mentioned she additionally noticed the movies, and it reminded her of what she referred to as the dearth of care her son acquired whereas at Richardson Mortuary.
Brown’s son, Zakee Muhammad, was shot and killed on Could 20, 2023, at a midtown Houston parking storage. Brown mentioned she introduced her son’s physique to Richardson Mortuary, however she mentioned she was not in a position to see her son till simply days earlier than his funeral. When that occurred, Brown mentioned she was shocked by what she noticed.
“They introduced him out on a gurney in the midst of the chapel, lifted the sheet, gnats coming from below the sheet. My son was sweaty, soiled,” Brown mentioned.
Brown added that her son’s physique was so swollen that the swimsuit she purchased for his service didn’t match him.
“I needed to find yourself getting one other swimsuit like 4 or 5 sizes larger than what he wore,” Brown mentioned. “I didn’t even acknowledge my son.”
Quick ahead to Friday, April 11, 2025, Brown mentioned she was heartbroken to see households describe seeing their family members in the same state at the exact same mortuary. For Brown, it was a painful reminder of what she went by.
“It’s hurtful to know that you just put belief in folks to put your loved ones members to relaxation, they usually’re handled that means. And every little thing I noticed the opposite day, it introduced me again to my son, me seeing him on the gurney, soiled, sweaty, gnats coming,” Brown mentioned. “It’s unhappy that we have been handled this manner, that our family members have been handled so horribly.”
KHOU 11 Information as soon as once more referred to as the Richardson Mortuary telephone quantity Sunday, as now we have been doing all weekend to get solutions for the grieving households, and a girl answered the telephone.
Nonetheless, when requested concerning the our bodies discovered on Friday, the lady mentioned she had no remark. KHOU 11 Information additionally requested about Brown and her scenario, however the girl on the telephone mentioned she didn’t acknowledge the identify off the highest of her head.
Brown additionally mentioned there was a protracted delay in getting her son’s ashes from Richardson Mortuary. That’s one thing KHOU 11 Information heard from households this previous Friday. One girl mentioned she was nonetheless ready for the ashes of her brother, who died in February.
