A licensed embalmer in Houston has been charged with felony abuse of a corpse after allegedly mutilating the body of a deceased registered sex offender.
Court records from Harris County reveal that Amber Laudermilk, an employee at Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, turned herself in after reportedly cutting off the deceased man’s penis and placing it in his mouth. The act was allegedly triggered after she learned that the deceased, Charles Roy Rodriguez, had a prior sexual assault charge and was a registered sex offender.
The incident occurred on February 7 at the funeral home, which is owned by Claire Brothers Funeral Home. According to documents, Laudermilk also threatened other staff members to keep quiet about the act. The disturbing discovery was made after a conversation between the funeral director and Rodriguez’s family about splitting his remains, during which his sex offender status was mentioned.
Following an internal report by another employee, authorities were notified. The embalmer was later released on a $5,000 bond.
In a statement, Memorial Mortuary confirmed that Laudermilk is no longer employed and that staff will undergo further education. The funeral home emphasized that the former employee acted without the knowledge of its management and the matter is now in the hands of law enforcement.
