AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A grieving family is grappling with the unimaginable after the owner of a funeral home they trusted with their loved ones' remains was accused of corpse abuse.
Lorena Villarreal and she and her family miss her mother endlessly. Their loss is still fresh.
Last month, Villarreal said they had services at Eternal Peace Funeral and Cremation Services in north Austin.
Lorena Villarreal's said they feel betrayed after hearing this news. (Photo: KXAN)Lorena Villarreal's said they feel betrayed after hearing this news. (Photo: KXAN)Lorena Villarreal's said they feel betrayed after hearing this news. (Photo: KXAN)Lorena Villarreal's said they feel betrayed after hearing this news. (Photo: KXAN)Her family also turned to the business in previous times of mourning.
"We had my mom's funeral services there," Villarreal said. "Ultimately, also a cremation with Capital Mortuary. But we've also had four before that."
Their grief has been made worse after learning that charges were filed against the owner, Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui.
Lorena Villarreal's said they feel betrayed after hearing this news. (Photo: KXAN)Bui is charged with Abuse of Corpse Without Legal Authority and Tampering with Government Records. Police said she turned herself in at the Travis County jail on April 18. According to online court records, Bui was released on bond.
According to an arrest affidavit, Bui conducted "experiments" at Capital Mortuary Services.
Authorities said she allegedly injected formaldehyde into the arms of corpses to see “the effect it had over time on severed extremities.”
When police asked the Texas Funeral Service Commission if this was legal, the commission said it wasn't because Capital Mortuary is not licensed to perform this kind of work.
"Was that done to our mom? Was she part of this experiment? Your mind runs off in a million places, and I still can't process."
Lorena Villarreal, Former Funeral Home ClientAs the Villarreal family processes their loss, they carry an added weight of unanswered questions.
"No matter what the outcome is about my mom or anybody else," Villarreal said. "The seed of doubt is... it's there, it's planted."
Life Tree Anatomical
At Eternal Peace Funeral Home, there was also a sign for Life Tree Anatomical. KXAN found the company has the same address listed as Eternal Peace.
Life Tree Anatomical had a sign outside of Eternal Peace Funeral. (Photo: KXAN)Life Tree Anatomical had a sign outside of Eternal Peace Funeral. (Photo: KXAN)According to its website, Life Tree Anatomical calls itself the "only non-university based willed body program approved by the State Anatomical Board."
However, the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC) told KXAN that is the not the case under the TFSC. The commission said they are not an approved willed body program in Texas, nor are they a registered non-anatomical donation organization.
KXAN asked Bui's attorney about Life Tree Anatomical.
"At this time, all I can tell you is that her team is sifting through voluminous records in her defense and that she was actively trying to operate within the bounds of the law. She is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty. We would like to reiterate that there is much more to this case than what is publicly available."
Jessica HuynhKXAN reached out to Life Tree Anatomical for comment, but we have not heard back yet. We will update this story if we get a response.
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