Houston: Family receives mother's remains months later, one hour before mortuary received cease and desist

HOUSTON - Donald Gordon says, after seeing the conditions inside Richardson Mortuary on the news and not having his mother Donna Gordon's remains since her funeral on December 21st, he and his family are now looking for peace. 

Bodies found exposed at Houston mortuary

The backstory:

On Friday, April 11, police were called to a stabbing incident at the mortuary on Brookfield Street.

The alleged stabbing victim - not Gordon - told FOX 26 that he had gone to the mortuary to check on his mother and found the building undergoing construction. He then posted a video to social media saying there were several bodies in the building with no AC.

Police at the scene said a man was stabbed by an employee at the mortuary during a fight.

RELATED: Man stabbed by mortuary worker after finding exposed bodies, officials say

On the following Monday, the mortuary was ordered by the state to cease operations.

‘It’s infuriating'

What they're saying:

Donald Gordon and his uncle, Hilton Lyles spoke exclusively with FOX 26.

"We look at the dates. It's infuriating to think she was in a situation like that for an extended amount of time, or it was unknown, Gordan said. "My entire life, I’ve known where my mother was. To get to this point and have to ask a question, ‘Where is my mother?’, That's a tough question to ask, and it's a hard question to answer,' Gordon said. 

"Looking at the date of her cremation, if that date is accurate and the date of the service, I have to believe that she was a part of that," said Lyles.

Remains received one hour before cease and desist

Gordon said "Minister Griffin" from Richardson Mortuary contacted him hours before cease and desist was handed to the business by the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC).

"We met out in the front of my apartment, and she brought my mother's remains in a white box and a white bag with a label on it that had my mom's name, some ID number and a cremation date, on March 17th. She explained to me that there was an issue with the death certificate and that was the hold up, but my mom's funeral was December 21st," Gordon said. "She had me sign a blank piece of paper with my name and date, which was yesterday for me to be able to receive my mother’s remains she stated that she would replace or pay to replace the three urns that we had given her that was either in the mortuary or presumably lost."

The family tells FOX 26 that a family member at Hiram Clarke Missionary Baptist Church recommended that they use Richardson Mortuary. 

Both Gordon and Lyles say are saddened by the treatment Donna Gordon received after her death. 

"This is like a bad dream. It really upsets me because this isn't dealing with a discount mortuary, saving money or anything like that. "This was about her being handled properly," Lyles said. 

TFSC responses

The other side:

The Texas Funeral Service Commission responded to claims against Richardson Mortuary made by the Gordon family about the mortuary's operation the day the cease and desist was handed out. 

Scott Bingaman, Executive Director of TFSC, says the mortuary operated before the cease and desists, but operating after would lead to consequences. 

The Texas Funeral Service Commission issued a Cease-and-Desist Order to Richardson Mortuary at 12:32 p.m. on April 14, 2025. According to reports by Fox 26, a meeting between the family and "Minister Griffin" of Richardson Mortuary allegedly took place at 11:00 a.m., prior to the issuance of the order that same day. Generally, actions occurring before a Cease-and-Desist Order is officially issued do not constitute a violation of that directive.

However, any funeral-related activity conducted after 12:32 p.m.—whether at the primary establishment or any affiliated or secondary location operating under the same license—is considered to be subject to the Cease-and-Desist Order and may be investigated accordingly.

The TFSC has opened an administrative investigation into Richardson Mortuary and will thoroughly examine all aspects of the establishment’s operations, both known and unknown. Families are urged to contact the TFSC with any information relating to this complaint or any other issues in the death care industry.

Scott Bingaman also advises families to not sign blank documents. 

"The Texas Funeral Service Commission would strongly caution against engaging in business transactions that involve executing on what could be considered a blank check scenario lending itself to a predatory practice. Families are urged to contact the TFSC with questions or concerns and especially to report anything that may seem suspicious.

Gordon claimed that his mother's jewelry was lost, according to a representative at Richardson Mortuary. 

The TFSC responds to this claim about lost jewelry.  

The Texas Funeral Service Commission did not have a role in this alleged transaction concerning "lost jewelry" and are unable to comment. Considering the establishment had yet to receive the cease-and-desist order, Richardson Mortuary were not yet made aware of the circumstances regarding their funeral business practices and any findings relating to the inspection of the establishment.

Houston