Former Staff Accuses Dallas Funeral Residence of Misconduct

DALLAS – The photograph emailed to Spectrum News 1 and at the very least 187 other individuals is disturbing.

It appears to depict decaying corpses stacked two, possibly 3 deep, packed into an unrefrigerated rental truck. Other shots purport to clearly show corpses crammed into tight spaces in a funeral home back space, surrounded by filth.

The images were being allegedly taken at the Golden Gate Funeral House found in southern Dallas, its large fleet of modern, white hearses really obvious from Interstate 35.

The most disturbing photograph was connected to an e mail dated February 5, 2021, broadly dispersed to community and state officers as part of a whistleblowing hard work by former Golden Gate Funeral Residence employee Isaiah Darris.

The photograph, allegedly taken past fall, depicts what Darris states are decaying corpses, stacked in a rental truck parked at the Golden Gate Funeral Residence loading dock. He states the storing of bodies in an unrefrigerated trailer is not only unethical but a possible violation of condition legislation that stipulates: “if final disposition will not happen in 24 hours, a physique should be embalmed, refrigerated, or put in an accredited, sealed container.”

“From the looks of that U-Haul trailer, that could be your mother or my mother, my father, my grandmother, ” claimed Darris. “The physique that was deal with down with no dresses on, that is really inappropriate.”

Darris supplied Spectrum Information 1 with other pictures he says he took depicting deplorable conditions within the funeral dwelling in an overcrowded morgue and where ever else bodies could be held. Darris claims only some of the bodies had been embalmed, other people had been just left exposed, on stretchers and on cots on the ground.

“There are bodies outdoors in the garage,” said Darris. “They’ve been all in the hallway blocking the doorways, blocking the exit doorways. It is like a slaughterhouse. Unless you go behind the scenes and see it you would under no circumstances imagine that just currently being from remaining up entrance that it looks the way that it does in the back. And this is not just something that is been likely on given that I have been there.”

In accordance to Darris, in his emailed criticism, “Golden Gate Funeral dwelling requires to be investigated and held accountable for the way they treat the deceased. Around the duration of the six months I have been employed at Golden Gate they have not adopted any of the point out and federal regulations.”

Golden Gate owner John Beckwith denies breaking any legislation or having any knowledge of the circumstances explained by Darris.

“I’ve hardly ever employed a U-Haul for storage, I under no circumstances have and under no circumstances will,” stated Beckwith. “I’m telling you that did not materialize right here. That (rental truck image) was staged by Isaiah himself or whoever took the picture.”

As to the allegation and pictures of a number of unattended and uncared for corpses on gurneys inside the facility, Beckwith accuses Darris, whom he mentioned had a short while ago been fired by one particular of his personnel, of deliberately striving to sabotage his business.

“Looks like he sort of staged some issues and took a sheet off of somebody’s head,” claimed Beckwith. “I really do not have a challenge with that picture. I do have a trouble with a human being who would expose a deceased man or woman like that.”

Beckwith claims he’s not mindful of any other grievances from Golden Gate.

Kyle Smith, team attorney for the Texas Funeral Expert services Fee, told Spectrum News 1 the company, which regulates the funeral industry in Texas, received Darris’ email in early February. He states company officers have reviewed its contents and are “looking into the matter.” It is not crystal clear if an official investigation has been opened and officials are prohibited from disclosing the existence of an official investigation.

Darris says he is corresponding with officers with the Texas Funeral Assistance Commission. But he states he continues to be skeptical that a complete investigation will be performed. He says he was not fired from Golden Gate but walked away from his work past month when the ailments persisted. He says he is likely general public because what continues to be guiding is an unacceptable, unthinkable nightmare.

“It’s sad and regrettable due to the fact you would consider that when your beloved a single passes away that they are in fantastic palms sending them to Golden Gate not recognizing the matters that are taking place behind the scenes,” stated Darris.