Charges dropped against Houston mortuary owner accused of keeping bodies in poor condition

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The last charges connected to a mortuary in southwest Houston, where bodies were allegedly kept in poor condition, have been dropped, according to court records.

The story made headlines in 2025, when siblings Davon and Tamara McGruder recorded a video inside the Richardson Mortuary in April 2025, raising concerns about how bodies were being handled.

Prosecutors ultimately charged the two owners, Gayle Bell and Michael Richardson, with multiple counts of abuse of a corpse.

More than a year later, three abuse of a corpse charges against Richardson were dismissed because prosecutors could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, according to documents.

In addition, documents state the charges could be refiled in the future.

In 2025, Richardson, Bell, and a security guard were all charged. However, over the past couple of months, the charges against all three have been dropped.

The mortuary itself was shut down by the state shortly after the videos surfaced and remains closed.