Gayle Elaine Bell, who was listed as a funeral director of Richardson Mortuary in court documents, had the charge dismissed after investigators could not prove she was responsible beyond a reasonable doubt.
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According to court documents, the Texas Funeral Service Commission inspected the Richardson Mortuary on Brookfield Drive in southwest Houston in April 2025. The commission issued a cease-and-desist letter after finding that the business did not comply with building, health, and safety codes.
In October 2025, the charges against Bell and her ex-husband, Michael Richardson, were presented after prosecutors said that 13 bodies were found in various states of decomposition, and one was "largely liquified." They added that they also found 70 cremations in "inhumane conditions."
An employee of the funeral home, Andre Thomas, was accused of stabbing a man who documented the conditions of Richardson Mortuary, but later had his charges dismissed.
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Court records show that Richardson still faces three counts of abuse of a corpse.