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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Second person charged in corpse abuse case; Police ask potential witnesses to come forward
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The CEO of the medical training facility MedtoMarket is accused of providing human remains for unauthorized experimentation using embalming fluid, according to the Austin Police Department. Aaron Ali is the second person to face charges related to the case of alleged 'experiments' on corpses, APD said. Police arrest an Austin mortuary owner accused of 'experimenting' on corpses During a press conference Wednesday, Detective Bryce Bishop said Ali is charged with aggravated perjury and abuse of a human corpse. Ali turned himself in at the Travis County jail Monday and was released on bond. 'The charges are completely unfounded,' Ali's attorney Eric J.R. Nichols told Nexstar's KXAN in a statement Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing, but Austin police said they need former employees of Capitol Mortuary Services — or anyone with information about the case — to contact investigators. APD also said possible victims may get in touch with APD Victim Services at Adeline Bui, the owner of Capital Mortuary Services, was the first to be arrested in the case last week. Bui, who is facing corpse abuse and government-record tampering charges, is accused of forging death certificates and running 'experiments' on severed limbs. During Wednesday's press conference, Bishop said the investigation started with a complaint to the Texas Funeral Commission by a former embalmer at Capitol Mortuary Services. The person told the commission that his name and mortuary credentials were used to file for fraudulent death certificates. The complainant also told investigators about Bui's 'experiments.' The Texas Funeral Commission then reached out to Austin Police. Earlier this month, APD detectives 'reviewed evidence related to the investigation,' Bishop said. 'The evidence included a project thread that was titled 'Freedom Art Experiment.' The thread showed materials including photos of severed arms and discussions on tissue decomposition, mold growth, and the use of materials like fishing line to suture the specimens,' Bishop explained. The detective said APD confirmed 'at least one body was being abused.' Meanwhile, Bishop said the original complainant's name was used 129 times to file for fraudulent death certificates at Capitol Mortuary Services. After their initial review of evidence, APD investigators executed a search warrant at Capitol Mortuary Services on April 10. Bui was interviewed the same day and allegedly told police that she was working with MedtoMarket on the 'experiments.' These 'experiments,' according to Bui's arrest affidavit, involved her injecting formaldehyde into arms to see 'the effect it had over time on severed extremities.' She guessed around 15 bodies were 'mutilated and subject to experimentation with the permission of MedtoMarket and was updating the company on the outcomes,' the records show. Family recalls experience with mortuary owner accused of corpse 'experiments' In a search warrant obtained by KXAN, investigators requested access to two devices, an iPhone and an iPad, believed to have additional communication between Bui and a MedtoMarket official. Police now say Bui admitted to forging documents with the former embalmer's credentials to 'process critical documents required for the intake and cremation of decedents,' Bishop said. Bui also told investigators that her actions were at the request of MedtoMarket. In a statement to KXAN last week, MedtoMarket said it 'has become aware of certain allegations related to a mortuary MedtoMarket has contracted with in performing its important work and mission. MedtoMarket will cooperate with law enforcement and state regulatory officials as part of any investigation.' The company also said it is an 'approved anatomical facility,' which, according to the Texas Funeral Commission's (TFSC) statements in the affidavit, would potentially authorize it to perform the embalming actions Bui is accused of doing. TFSC's executive director, Scott Bingaman, gave a statement to police regarding Bui's alleged actions at Capital Mortuary: 'It is unlawful for a commercial embalming establishment to use a dead human body for research or educational purposes.' Ali's attorney released a statement that said, in part: 'Contrary to some of the information provided to law enforcement, all of the activities by Dr. Ali and the companies he works with were fully authorized by law. Anatomical facilities work with tissue that is donated by well-meaning donors and their families to serve the interests of medical science and the entire Texas community. Anatomical facilities, which are authorized by Texas law, serve the purpose of allowing first responders, physicians and other health care providers to train using such donated tissue in order to save lives and heal others. No court date is listed for Ali yet. Bui's next court appearance is currently set for June. KXAN learned more about Ali's business from his testimony at the Texas Capitol earlier this month. For about six minutes, Ali spoke in front of the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on April 16. He said MedtoMarket is a state-approved anatomical facility. 'We work closely with physicians, first responders, military personnel, FBI and other healthcare providers to offer essential cadaver-based training,' Ali said to senators. He spoke on Senate Bill 2721, also known as the Human Dignity Act. It focuses on regulating the treatment of human remains and anatomical donations for educational and research purposes. 'It institutes inspections. It demands transparency and accountability,' said Texas Sen. Tan Parker. The bill would set new standards for body acquisition facilities, create a criminal offense for violating the regulations, and establish a secure electronic database to track bodies and parts under the Texas Funeral Service Commission. 'One of our primary concerns is the absence of healthcare professionals on the commission,' Ali said. During Ali's testimony, KXAN learned more about what he said happens inside MedtoMarket. 'You go to a lecture room where you get lectured by physicians on the procedures you're going to be working on,' Ali said. 'Once they've been trained in a didactic room, they change into scrubs, go through locked doors, lock sliding glass doors to a real OR facility that has non-porous floors with cadavers that are from authorized facilities and donors.' When asked about their intake of bodies, Ali claimed to only accept 'authorized consented individuals.' 'They have true authorization paperwork for their donation,' Ali said. 'They are not unclaimed bodies.' A senator asked if they do trainings outside the facility. Ali said they only do them in their facility and specifically train physicians, surgeons and first responders. 'We don't train random people. We don't have random people come into our facility,' Ali said. On Tuesday, the committee reviewed SB 2721, made some changes to it and voted to recommend the substitute version to the Senate for further consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Texas mortuary owner accused of carrying out sick experiments on corpses' severed limbs
A Texas mortuary owner has been arrested for allegedly using the severed arms of corpses for twisted science experiments before sending them to the crematorium. Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, was taken into custody earlier this month after a police raid uncovered power tools tainted with human remains and a chilling digital trail of experimental notes, including photos of detached arms in various states of decomposition, KVUE News reported. The 'experiments' allegedly involved Bui injecting formaldehyde - a colorless gas used to preserve specimens in medical labs - into the arms of dead bodies and observing how the chemical affected the lifeless flesh. Bui was ultimately charged with abuse of a corpse and five counts of tampering with governmental records, though she has since been released on a $27,500 bond. 'Our legal team remains fully committed to defending and advocating for our client, Adeline Bui, with the expectation of fairness and due process,' Jessica Huynh, Bui's attorney, told People. The disturbing revelations began unfolding on April 2, when the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC) alerted the Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit about gruesome allegations linked to Capital Austin Mortuary Services and its owner, Bui, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KVUE News. An investigator with the TFSC told police that, a month earlier, a former embalmer accused Bui of fraudulently filing at least 10 death certificates using his name and license - all without his consent. In a shocking twist, the embalmer also revealed that he had learned about alleged 'experiments' Bui was carrying out on severed arms inside the mortuary. These so-called experiments entailed Bui injecting formaldehyde into the arms to observe 'the effect it had over time on severed extremities', according to the affidavit. Once Bui was done experimenting on the arms, according to the TFSC investigator, 'the severed body parts to be placed in the crematory retort, where the body parts in their dissected and disturbed state, would be cremated'. The former employee who filed the initial complaint showed police a screenshot from a work computer dated December 2023, appearing to show Bui documenting updates on her 'project' under a conversation thread named 'Freedom Art Experiment'. The thread also featured images of what authorities described as severed arms, each progressing through various states of decomposition. After reviewing the evidence obtained thus far, investigators said they uncovered a staggering 129 instances where Bui allegedly used the embalmer's name - each time without his consent or knowledge - to file official death certificates with the State of Texas. Based on the evidence, ADP concluded that Bui was deliberately falsifying death certificates to continue operating her business, take in bodies and profit - all while 'likely committing the offense of Abuse of a Corpse'. On April 10, the Austin Police Department obtained a search warrant for Capital Austin Mortuary, where investigators soon discovered power tools tainted with human remains. During the search, officers interviewed Bui, who ultimately confessed to the disturbing acts she had carried out at her business - including that household power tools were used during the process. According to the affidavit, Bui admitted to using the former embalmer's identity to complete and submit official death documents through the state, each time without his knowledge or consent. Authorities said Bui also came clean about forging his signature on a Death Certificate Amendment Form, using his driver's license to submit the application when he was no longer employed at the mortuary. Shockingly, Bui admitted to her bizarre experiments while speaking to investigators, explaining further that she had directed her own employees to take part in the project. Bui confessed to ordering her employees to conduct experiments on the corpses, which aimed to study the effect of the embalming fluid on the limb - both with and without the chemical, according to the court docs. This process included 'cutting heads, arms and spines from remains sent to her facility while acting in the licensed capacity as a mortuary', investigators said. The affidavit also claimed that Bui collaborated with MedtoMarket - a medical-training company - on the project, allegedly experimenting on up to 15 bodies with the facility's permission and keeping them updated on the results. In a search warrant obtained by KXAN, investigators seized an iPhone and an iPad, believing they contained further communication between Bui and an official from MedtoMarket. Investigators spoke to the company's CEO, who they explained had a contract with Bui's mortuary for 'transport and cremation services.' Though the CEO denied any 'experimental testing', he confirmed that he had knowledge of the mortuary embalming arms to see how long they could be preserved. According to KVUE, he also denied going to the mortuary to observe the project's process for himself, while stressing once again that it was 'just embalming and not testing'. When officers asked if that was normal practice in the industry, the CEO responded that 'medical schools do it all the time, yeah', according to the affidavit. The police department spoke with the executive director of the TFSC, attempting to determine if there was 'any possible legal way' for Bui's mortuary to have been granted permission to carry-out experiments on the remains obtained from the medical-training facility. The executive director explained that Capital Mortuary 'is not a registered anatomical facility', adding that it is 'performing embalming services beyond the licensed scope of its authority'. In regards to Bui performing them at her mortuary specifically, the executive director emphasized that 'it is unlawful for a commercial embalming establishment to use a dead human body for research or educational purposes'. Austin Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that the TFSC's administrative investigation and the department's criminal investigation remains active and ongoing. 'APD and the TFSC are committed to enforcing state regulations, protecting the public from predatory practices and ensuring that decedent remains are treated with dignity and respect in accordance with Texas law,' the APD said in the statement. Bui was booked into the Travis County Jail on April 18, but has since been released on bond. Although she has not yet entered a plea, she is expected back in court on May 9.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Texas mortuary owner arrested, accused of ‘experimenting' on corpses
Editor's note: This story contains details related to mutilated corpses. AUSTIN (KXAN) – Police have arrested a woman investigators believe forged death certificates and cut limbs off of corpses to conduct embalming-related experiments. The suspect, Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, is charged with Abuse of Corpse Without Legal Authority and Tampering with Government Records. According to online court records, she is out on bond. Police say she turned herself in to the Travis County Jail on April 18. 'This case involves complexities that are not immediately apparent and should not be sensationalized,' said Jessica Huynh, Bui's attorney on behalf of Smith and Vinson Law Firm. 'Our legal team remains fully committed to defending and advocating for our client… with the expectation of fairness and due process.' Bui's arrest warrant states she did this at Capital Mortuary Services in north Austin. Online state records listed Bui as the owner. The business itself told KXAN it has no comment on the case at this time. On April 2, an investigator with the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC) informed the Austin Police Department (APD) she was conducting an internal investigation into Capital Mortuary, located at 201 Victor Street, which is near Interstate 35 and Braker Lane, according to court documents. According to documents obtained by KXAN, the TFSC issued a cease and desist letter to Capital Mortuary on April 10. This investigation stemmed from a complaint to the TFSC from a former employee who said Bui had 'fraudulently initiated and obtained at least 10 death certificates under his name,' and that he was aware of 'experiments' Bui would allegedly conduct on corpses' arms. APD's investigation eventually revealed 128 cases where Bui used the former employee's name to complete or amend death certificates. These 'experiments,' according to Bui's arrest affidavit, involve her injecting formaldehyde into the arms to see 'the effect it had over time on severed extremities.' The former employee who made the complaint showed police a screenshot from a work computer in December 2023, which appeared to show Bui posting photos and updates about the project under a conversation thread titled 'Freedom Art Experiment.' The TFSC investigator wrote in her report that once Bui was finished with the limbs she 'then allowed the severed body parts to be placed in the crematory retort, where the body parts in their dissected and disturbed state, would be cremated.' According to Bui's arrest affidavit, TFSC Executive Director Scott Bingaman said Capital Mortuary was in violation of Texas Health and Safety Code by performing these actions. The commission also called the actions 'unethical and unauthorized.' TFSC deferred comments related to the criminal investigation to APD. Police interviewed Bui when the department executed an April 10 search warrant for Capital Mortuary. According to her arrest affidavit, she admitted to using the former employee's identity to submit death certificates without his consent and further confirmed that the employee had never done a death certificate at her facility. She told police she used his name because it was an option on a drop-down menu on the forms. Bui told APD she 'directed her employees to conduct experiments on bodies to study the effects of embalming fluid with and without formaldehyde,' which included 'cutting heads, arms and spines from remains sent to her facility while acting in the licensed capacity as a mortuary,' according to her arrest affidavit. The TFSC investigator said the allegations against Bui are a 'recurring theme' related to 'miscommunication with families, improper documentation, unprofessional conduct and possible fraud.' Investigators say Bui worked with a medical-training company, MedtoMarket, on the 'experiments.' She guessed around 15 bodies were 'mutilated and subject to experimentation with the permission of MedtoMarket and was updating the company on the outcomes.' In a search warrant obtained by KXAN, investigators requested access to two devices, an iPhone and an iPad, believed to have additional communication between Bui and a MedtoMarket official. Detectives interviewed the company's CEO who, according to Bui's records, said they had a contractual agreement with Capital Mortuary for 'transport and cremation services.' The CEO denied any 'experimental testing,' but said he knew Capital Mortuary was embalming arms to see how long they could preserve them. When APD asked if that was a normal practice, MedtoMarket's CEO said 'medical schools do it all the time, yeah,' according to Bui's affidavit. MedtoMarket also told police the company asked Capital Mortuary to do embalming work on two arms. In a statement to KXAN, MedtoMarket said it 'has become aware of certain allegations related to a mortuary MedtoMarket has contracted with in performing its important work and mission. MedtoMarket will cooperate with law enforcement and state regulatory officials as part of any investigation.' The company also said it is an 'approved anatomical facility,' which, according to the TFSC's statements in the affidavit, would potentially authorize it to perform the embalming actions Bui is accused of doing. But TFSC's executive director, told police in regards to Bui performing them at Capital Mortuary 'it is unlawful for a commercial embalming establishment to use a dead human body for research or educational purposes.' In a statement Wednesday, APD said 'The TFSC's administrative investigation and APD's criminal investigations remain open and ongoing. APD and the TFSC are committed to enforcing state regulations, protecting the public from predatory practices, and ensuring that decedent remains are treated with dignity and respect in accordance with Texas law.' According to the aforementioned cease and desist letter issued to Capital Mortuary, the facility was required to do the following within 14 days: Become compliant with Texas code Pass a subsequent inspection by the TFSC Submit a copy of all documented evidence for all donor remains to licensed anatomical facilities. Failure to comply with the order 'will result in immediate enforcement action,' according to the letter, as well as a fee of up to $5,000 per violation day. The TFSC stated in the letter that Capital Mortuary 'may have (been) performing embalming acts outside of the licensed scope and authority' of its license and that 'it is a violation to allow the use of a dead human body by an embalming establishment for research or educational purposes unless it is done for a school or college of mortuary science' and in compliance with state code. KXAN Senior Investigative Producer David Barer, Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle and Investigative Producer Dalton Huey contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Inside the Disturbing Case of a Texas Mortuary Owner Who Was Allegedly 'Experimenting' on Corpses
The owner of a Texas mortuary faces charges after authorities allege she conducted "experiments" on corpses and tampered with death certificates. Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui has been charged with abuse of corpse and five counts of tampering with governmental records, online court records show. She was booked into the Travis County Jail on April 18. Bui's attorney, Jessica Huynh, tells PEOPLE her client has since been released on $27,500 bond and has not yet entered a plea. Bui is scheduled to appear in court on May 9, according to online court records. On April 2, the Texas Funeral Service Commission contacted the Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit regarding allegations that Capital Mortuary Services and its owner, Bui, were 'engaging in criminal conduct including abuse of corpse and tampering with governmental records,' a spokesperson for the Austin Police Department said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. Police said their investigation resulted in a search warrant being served at the business on April 10. The evidence police allegedly found led to Bui's arrest, per the statement. Police declined to share further information regarding the investigation, but noted it remains ongoing. However, further details were released by authorities in Bui's arrest affidavit obtained by KVUE, KXANand Fox 7 Austin. According to the arrest affidavit, the initial April 2 complaint came from a former employee at the Texas Funeral Service Commission who claimed Bui had 'fraudulently initiated and obtained at least 10 death certificates under his name,' KXAN reported. The employee also said that Bui, 50, had allegedly been conducting 'experiments' on the arms of corpses. The "experiments" allegedly included Bui injecting formaldehyde into the arms to study "the effect it had over time on severed extremities,' the affidavit states, according to KXAN. After the 'experiments' were completed, Bui would allegedly let "the severed body parts to be placed in the crematory retort, where the body parts in their dissected and disturbed state, would be cremated,' authorities said in the affidavit, per KVUE. Bui is also accused of documenting the alleged experiments through notes and photos shared to a message thread titled 'Freedom Art Experiment,' according to a December 2023 screenshot that the former employee shared with police, per the affidavit cited by KXAN. According to the affidavit obtained by Fox 7 Austin, the photos showed what police claimed were severed and detached arms in various stages of decomposition. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. When police executed the search warrant on April 10, they spoke with Bui, who allegedly admitted to using the former embalmer's name on death certificates without his knowledge, Fox 7 Austin reported, citing the affidavit. According to KVUE, Bui also allegedly confessed to ordering her staff to conduct the 'experiments' on about 15 bodies with the permission of MedtoMarket, which had a contract with the business for 'transportation and cremation services,' per the affidavit. The outlet reported that police spoke with MedtoMarket, which denied the company's involvement in 'experimental testing' but said that it was aware of arms being embalmed to see how long they could preserve them, per the affidavit. According to the affidavit cited by Fox 7 Austin, authorities also allegedly found power tools with human remains on them during the search of the business. "Our criminal justice system is based on the presumption of innocence and a careful, critical evaluation of the evidence, facts, and their sources," Huynh says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "This case involves complexities that are not immediately apparent and should not be sensationalized. Our legal team remains fully committed to defending and advocating for our client, Adeline Bui, with the expectation of fairness and due process," the attorney concluded. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Austin funeral home owner charged with abusing corpses, fabricating death certificates
An Austin funeral home owner has been charged with multiple felonies after police accused her of tampering with bodies and fabricating death certificates. Adeline Bui was arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with a government record. Her Travis County Jail records and police affidavits became public Wednesday. She could not immediately be reached for comment. Bui's arrest comes after police seized cremated remains, funeral documents, digital devices, anatomical specimens, and tools bearing suspected human tissue from Capital Mortuary Services in Northeast Austin earlier this month, as detailed across three coordinated warrants. Police accuse Bui of falsifying death certificates and conducting unauthorized experiments on human remains, according to the search warrants. A former employee of the funeral home shared screenshots with investigators from a message thread named 'Freedom Art Experiment' that contained evidence of severed arms being used for chemical testing with embalming fluids. The message thread shows several pictures of severed arms going through various states of decomposition with messages detailing experimental procedures, the warrant said. Bui told an Austin police detective that these arms were evaluated over the course of months. Bui admitted to police that she conducted experiments to study the effects of embalming fluid on up to 15 bodies, including tests on heads, arms and spines, according to the warrant. Bui claims the experiments were authorized by the client and that they were updating the company on the experiments. Scott Bingaman, executive director of the Texas Funeral Commission, told police that Capital Mortuary Services was never approved to conduct experiments on bodies and had not applied for the required status as a non-transplant anatomical donation program. The commission, which licenses and regulates funeral industry professionals and facilities, must approve such programs under state law. According to the warrants, Bui also fraudulently used the name of a man who previously worked at the funeral home as a crematory operator, driver and embalmer to certify death certificates. Bui acknowledged that she used the man's name on notarized Death Certificate Amendment Forms, according to the warrants. Bui said the man never completed any paperwork at Capital Mortuary Services and that he wouldn't even know how to. When asked by police about using his name, Bui said she "had to put someone's name in there" and that Tuttle's name was still available as a "drop down" option on the form. Bui also owns and operates Eternal Peace Funeral and Cremation Services in Round Rock, where police also executed a warrant as part of the investigation. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin funeral home owner charged with abusing corpses
