Amber Laudermilk, a mortuary worker from Texas, is facing accusations of desecrating a corpse
Warning: this article contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.
A mortuary employee is now facing charges after allegedly desecrating the body of a convicted sex offender.
Amber Laudermilk, who worked as an embalmer at Memorial Mortuary & Crematory in Houston, Texas, is accused of mutilating the corpse after death by removing the man’s genitals.
The body in question was that of Charles Roy Rodriguez, and authorities say it was this corpse that Laudermilk allegedly desecrated.
Rodriguez was a lifelong registered sex offender who passed away from natural causes in a Houston hospital this January at the age of 58, according to The Mirror.
His conviction dates back to 2001, when he was sentenced for sexually assaulting a 31-year-old woman.
Laudermilk has been accused of the felony FOX 26 Houston
According to court filings, Rodriguez’s body was delivered to the mortuary on February 7.
Upon learning of Rodriguez's criminal record, Laudermilk allegedly used a scalpel to perform the act of mutilation on the corpse.
Witnesses reportedly saw the 34-year-old thrust the scalpel into his groin area twice, then sever his penis and place it into the corpse’s mouth.
Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen commented: "No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death."
"This case is about two troubled people: the victim who was a registered sex offender and the defendant, who is accused of viciously attacking his dead body," he added.
Laudermilk is now charged with abusing a corpse, which is classified as a felony. She has been released on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on May 13.
Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen FOX 26 Houston
"I don't know the suspect's past, but we have the utmost empathy for anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault or is the family or friend of someone who has been the victim of a sexual assault," Rosen continued. "The facts clearly indicate she was angry, and I hope after this is resolved in the courts, she gets the help she needs."
According to NBC News, official documents reveal that two mortuary employees claim they witnessed the disturbing incident firsthand.
Laudermilk is also said to have turned to one of the witnesses, a student embalmer, and remarked "You didn't see anything," in a tone that the witness described as menacing.
The second eyewitness reported that Rodriguez’s groin appeared to be ‘disfigured,’ and claimed that Laudermilk attempted to conceal the damage with a towel.
When questioned about the situation at that moment, Laudermilk allegedly responded vaguely, saying the deceased had 'a lot going on with him,' as noted in the official charging documents.
A formal complaint was filed with the local police department on February 19. Following this, the Texas Funeral Service Commission suspended Laudermilk’s embalmer license earlier this month.
Officials from Harris County Precinct One confirmed to the media that Laudermilk later turned herself in and is now being held at Harris County Jail.
