A Texas woman is suing the funeral home that buried her son over allegations that his body was mishandled.
Julieta Guerra is bringing suit against Integrity Funeral Home at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Houston for $1 million after she claims her son was improperly embalmed. The smell of the body was so unbearable it made friends and family at the funeral sick, according to the lawsuit obtained by the New York Post.
Edward Silva, 43, died unexpectedly on February 9, 2021, and was scheduled to be embalmed on February 12. When Guerra was finally able to view the body 11 days later, she says she was shocked by its condition.
“Edward had remained cut open and had not been sewn back up. His chest had a gaping hole, an empty cavity that was not stuffed. He did not seem like he had been embalmed. There was a terrible smell,” Guerra claimed in the lawsuit.
Guerra said her son’s body was then supposed to be embalmed the next day, but she was denied access to see the body when she reached out with concerns.
The big Texas snowstorm pushed the funeral back an additional week. When Guerra drove past the business, she says she realized there was no electricity. She thinks this played a role in her son’s decomposition.
The sight of the body caused Guerra to collapse while saying, “This is not my son,” according to the New York Post.
On top of the smell, the lawsuit mentions that the clothing chosen for Silva’s wake wouldn’t fit due to “extreme post-mortem swelling of the body” and white gloves had been placed on his hands because of bodily fluids coming out of his fingers and ears. Silva’s parents reportedly had to cut the clothing for it to be draped over the body instead of being worn.
Guerra says she found her son’s body like this only hours before the service. The smell of the decaying flesh necessitated a closed casket service despite original plans for an open casket. Despite efforts to mask the smell, it reportedly made friends and family sick.
“The smell of decomposition was just so distracting,” Guerra said, per the New York Post. “Everyone kept covering their noses to help them tolerate the smell, and some guests were retching.”
Guerra hopes to hold the funeral home responsible for negligence and deceptive trade. She says the funeral home offered no apology and even asked her not to sue.
Integrity Funeral Home at Forest Lawn Cemetery declined The Dallas Express’ request to comment on Guerra’s allegations.