Latest news with #TexasFuneralServiceCommission
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Company CEO is 2nd person charged in case involving abuse of corpses at Austin mortuary
Austin police have arrested a second person in connection to a case involving abuse of corpses at a local mortuary. Dr. Aaron Ali, the chief executive officer of Austin-based MedtoMarket, is facing two charges: aggravated perjury, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and abuse of a corpse without legal authority, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in state jail. In an emailed statement that described the charges as "completely unfounded," Ali's lawyer, Eric J.R. Nicols, said his client was arrested on Monday and released later in the day. An arrest affidavit for Ali said his company supplied the arms of human corpses to Capital Mortuary Services, the North Austin mortuary at the center of the case, so staff there could conduct experiments on them. That's according to a statement that mortuary owner Adaline Bui gave to authorities. Bui, who was arrested and charged last week with abuse of a corpse and tampering with a government record, told police that MedtoMarket had requested a study on the arms to see how long they could be preserved for months at a time with or without formaldehyde being injected into them, according to the affidavit. Bui also told police that "up to 15 bodies had been mutilated and subject to experimentation with the permission of MedtoMarket." More: Austin funeral home owner charged with abusing corpses, fabricating death certificates The affidavit said that Ali told police on April 10 that he had asked Capital Mortuary Services to do embalming — not testing — on two arms. He later confirmed the mortuary was embalming arms to see how long they could preserve them. 'To some degree, law enforcement investigators have to rely on information provided by others," Nicols, Ali's lawyer, said in his statement. "In this case, it is clear that law enforcement has been provided with incorrect information." Ali told authorities he never went to the mortuary to observe the testing but inquired about the condition of the arms, according to the affidavit, which said that "Ali provided that he probably would have spoken to Adeline Bui about the tests." The document noted that the executive director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission told police that it was against the law for Capital Mortuary Services to use a dead body for research or education purposes unless defined by a state code. On April 16, the affidavit said Ali testified on proposed legislation during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. In his testimony, he told the committee that MedtoMarket is a "state approved anatomical facility" that works closely with "physicians, first responders, military personnel, FBI and other healthcare programs to offer essential cadaver-based training," according to the affidavit. He also said he was the chairman of the State Anatomical Advisory Committee under the Texas Funeral Service Commission, the document said. Ali told the Senate committee that all the trainings on cadavers take place at the MedtoMarket facility, according to the affidavit. But police think that Ali was not telling the truth, the document said. "Dr. Ali providing the arms to the unlicensed and unapproved facility for experimental testing, that he asked for, is completely oppositional to his statements made in the Senate about who and where approved anatomical specimen testing is allowed to take place," the affidavit said. Nicols disagreed with police, saying in his statement that '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," Nicol said. He went on to note that Ali has had a long career "distinguished by his dedication to the health and well-being of others." "This has been shown in the area of anatomical bioskills training, education and research, as well as in his work as a board-certified physician," Nicols said. "He is also a responsible and active Travis County citizen and previously served in the United States Army Reserves." According to a biography on MedtoMarket's website, Ali is a board-certified anesthesiologist and served as chief resident during his specialty medical training at Duke University. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Second person charged in corpse abuse case at Austin mortuary
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mortician 'conducted sickening experiments' on dead bodies in her care
Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, is under investigation after Austin Police searched a morgue where she is said to have ordered staff to remove the arms of corpses for experimentation A mortician and mortuary owner is under investigation after allegedly experimenting with corpses as police search teams found power tools covered in human remains. Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, owner of Capital Mortuary Services, was brought in by cops after the Texas Funeral Service Commission contacted the Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit over concerns. A search warrant was carried out and the mortician was charged with Abuse of Corpse Without Legal Authority and Tampering with Government Records amid concerns she cut off the limbs for experiments in the embalming process. She turned herself into the Travis County Jail and was later released on bail on a $27,000 (£20,000) bond as investigations go on. Jessica Huynh, Bui's attorney on behalf of Smith and Vinson Law Firm, said: 'Our criminal justice system is based on the presumption of innocence and a careful, critical evaluation of the evidence, facts, and their sources. "This case involves complexities that are not immediately apparent and should not be sensationalised. Our legal team remains fully committed to defending and advocating for our client… with the expectation of fairness and due process.' The initial concerns came from a former employee at the morgue who claimed Bui had fraudulently initiated and obtained at least 10 death certificates under his name. She is said to have been conducting "experiments" on the arms of corpses, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by local NBC affiliate KXAN. These include "experiments" injecting formaldehyde into the arms of the corpses to check the "the effect it had over time on severed extremities". She is said to have then left the arms in the crematory, where they were later cremated. Local media say police took photos of severed arms in varying stages of decomposition. Bui is reported to have ordered staff at the morgue to conduct the experiments on 15 bodies. MedtoMarket, which had a contract with Bui's business Capital Mortuary Services for 'transportation and cremation services", denied any involvement in the experiments but added it was aware of arms being removed and embalmed in an experiment to see how long they could be preserved for, per the affidavit. Fox 7 Austin reported that when police executed the search warrant on April 10, Bui allegedly admitted to using the former embalmer's name on death certificates without his knowledge. - and then posted it on OnlyFans. Bosses are investigating Amelie Warnier's snap, understood to have been taken in the morgue waiting room at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex. The 44-year-old professional is then believed to have posted the image on OnlyFans during the Covid-19 pandemic. But Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the hospital, says there are "strict codes of practice" in its mortuaries. It has opened a probe into the mum of two's act, said to have happened after she was encouraged by a friend to create a profile on the adult website.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Richardson Mortuary in Houston ordered to cease operations
The Brief A Houston mortuary has been ordered to cease operations. Last week, officials said bodies were found lying on the ground and on cardboard. The business has 14 days to meet code and other criteria before the state commission will decide if they can reopen. HOUSTON - A Houston mortuary has been ordered by the state to cease operations after officials say bodies were found lying on the ground and on cardboard at the business last week. Dig deeper The Texas Funeral Service Commission on Monday ordered Richardson Mortuary, located at 3201 Brookfield Dr. in Houston, to cease and desist all operations immediately. According to the notice, the commission inspected the business on April 11 and found that the facility failed to meet building, health and safety codes. The commission says the establishment also "engaged in fraudulent, unprofessional, or deceptive conduct in providing funeral services or merchandise to a customer and engaged in dishonest conduct, willful conduct or negligence in the practice of embalming or funeral directing that is likely to or does deceive, defraud, or otherwise injure the public in violation of TEX. OCC. CODE § 651.459(2) and § 651.459 (3)." What's next The business has 14 days to meet several criteria from the commission, including meeting code, passing inspection and submitting several records to the commission. The commission will determine if the business remains closed or reopens. The backstory Richardson Mortuary was the scene of a law enforcement response on Friday. 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. 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 unidentified employee had not been charged as of Friday afternoon, according to Capt. Dale. The victim allegedly suffered a "superficial wound" and was no longer at the hospital. 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 were reportedly transported to other funeral homes to be stored properly. Dig deeper Man stabbed by mortuary worker after finding exposed bodies, officials say The Source The information in this article comes from the Texas Funeral Service Commission and the Houston Police Department.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas probes medical school's use of bodies without consent following NBC News investigation
This article is part of 'Dealing the Dead,' a series investigating the use of unclaimed bodies for medical research. Texas state regulators are investigating a medical school's failure to notify surviving family members before cutting up and leasing out the bodies of their loved ones. The Texas Funeral Service Commission notified the University of North Texas Health Science Center on Oct. 18 that it was opening an investigation into the center's body donation program, according to a letter obtained by reporters this week through a public records request. The notice of complaint was issued one month after NBC News published an investigation revealing that the Fort Worth-based center had dissected, studied and leased out hundreds of unclaimed bodies without prior consent from the dead or any survivors. The center's failure to obtain permission from next of kin before using corpses for medical research — and its refusal to immediately release remains to survivors who came forward later — may have violated state law, Funeral Service Commission investigator Rudy Villarreal wrote in the letter addressed to the Health Science Center's president, Sylvia Trent-Adams, who has since resigned. Villarreal also alleged that the center failed to get permission from regulators before shipping bodies and body parts across state lines. The Funeral Service Commission, which regulates body donation in the state, has the power to issue fines against programs for violations. In a statement Wednesday, the agency confirmed the investigation is ongoing. Health Science Center spokesperson Andy North said the center has been 'working diligently to ensure a complete and accurate production' of documents requested as part of the probe. The Funeral Service Commission investigation is part of a cascade of changes and official actions triggered by NBC News' reporting. The news organization discovered dozens of families who said they would have claimed their loved ones' bodies and given them proper funerals if they had been told about their deaths. Some were still searching for their relatives, unaware that they had died. The dead included military veterans, people who struggled with drug addiction and homelessness, and a young murder victim. The Health Science Center shipped many of the bodies and body parts to out-of-state medical schools, device makers and health care education companies — charging $649 for a head, $900 for a torso, $703 for a pair of legs. In response to the reporters' findings, the Health Science Center announced in September that it was suspending its body donation program, firing the officials who led it and hiring a consultant to review the program's operations. North issued a statement last fall apologizing to the affected families. Dallas and Tarrant counties — which had provided the Health Science Center with more than 2,300 unclaimed bodies under contracts dating back to 2019 — ended their agreements with the center. Device makers, research companies and other groups that had relied on the center for bodies — including Boston Scientific and the U.S. Army — canceled or re-evaluated their business relationships with the program. And last week, a Texas state senator introduced a bill to ban the use of unclaimed bodies without consent. In its October letter, the Funeral Service Commission asked the Health Science Center to turn over documents related to the operation of its body donation program and set a 15-day deadline to comply. North said the Health Science Center was later granted a 45-day extension and has been providing records on a monthly rolling basis. So far, the center has turned over more than 1,800 documents, a Funeral Service Commission official said. Separately, the commission sent the Health Science Center a cease-and-desist letter in November ordering it to end its practice of disposing of corpses by liquefying them through a process commonly referred to as water cremation, which the commission said is illegal in Texas. In its official response to the commission, sent Dec. 4, the Health Science Center defended its use of water cremations, which are formally known as alkaline hydrolysis, but said it had already halted the practice in September. This article was originally published on
NBC News
26-02-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Texas probes medical school's use of bodies without consent following NBC News investigation
This article is part of 'Dealing the Dead,' a series investigating the use of unclaimed bodies for medical research. Texas state regulators are investigating a medical school's failure to notify surviving family members before cutting up and leasing out the bodies of their loved ones. The Texas Funeral Service Commission notified the University of North Texas Health Science Center on Oct. 18 that it was opening an investigation into the center's body donation program, according to a letter obtained by reporters this week through a public records request. The notice of complaint was issued one month after NBC News published an investigation revealing that the Fort Worth-based center had dissected, studied and leased out hundreds of unclaimed bodies without prior consent from the dead or any survivors. The center's failure to obtain permission from next of kin before using corpses for medical research — and its refusal to immediately release remains to survivors who came forward later — may have violated state law, Funeral Service Commission investigator Rudy Villarreal wrote in the letter addressed to the Health Science Center's president, Sylvia Trent-Adams, who has since resigned. Villarreal also alleged that the center failed to get permission from regulators before shipping bodies and body parts across state lines. The Funeral Service Commission, which regulates body donation in the state, has the power to issue fines against programs for violations. In a statement Wednesday, the agency confirmed the investigation is ongoing. Health Science Center spokesperson Andy North said the center has been 'working diligently to ensure a complete and accurate production' of documents requested as part of the probe. The Funeral Service Commission investigation is part of a cascade of changes and official actions triggered by NBC News' reporting. The news organization discovered dozens of families who said they would have claimed their loved ones' bodies and given them proper funerals if they had been told about their deaths. Some were still searching for their relatives, unaware that they had died. The dead included military veterans, people who struggled with drug addiction and homelessness, and a young murder victim. The Health Science Center shipped many of the bodies and body parts to out-of-state medical schools, device makers and health care education companies — charging $649 for a head, $900 for a torso, $703 for a pair of legs. In response to the reporters' findings, the Health Science Center announced in September that it was suspending its body donation program, firing the officials who led it and hiring a consultant to review the program's operations. North issued a statement last fall apologizing to the affected families. Dallas and Tarrant counties — which had provided the Health Science Center with more than 2,300 unclaimed bodies under contracts dating back to 2019 — ended their agreements with the center. Device makers, research companies and other groups that had relied on the center for bodies — including Boston Scientific and the U.S. Army — canceled or re-evaluated their business relationships with the program. And last week, a Texas state senator introduced a bill to ban the use of unclaimed bodies without consent. In its October letter, the Funeral Service Commission asked the Health Science Center to turn over documents related to the operation of its body donation program and set a 15-day deadline to comply. North said the Health Science Center was later granted a 45-day extension and has been providing records on a monthly rolling basis. So far, the center has turned over more than 1,800 documents, a Funeral Service Commission official said. Separately, the commission sent the Health Science Center a cease-and-desist letter in November ordering it to end its practice of disposing of corpses by liquefying them through a process commonly referred to as water cremation, which the commission said is illegal in Texas. In its official response to the commission, sent Dec. 4, the Health Science Center defended its use of water cremations, which are formally known as alkaline hydrolysis, but said it had already halted the practice in September.
