A Texas funeral home worker has been arrested and charged after allegedly mutilating the body of a deceased man, cutting off his genitals, and stuffing them in his mouth, after discovering he was a registered sex offender.
Amber Laudermilk, 34, an embalmer at Memorial Mortuary & Crematory in Houston, is accused of carrying out the shocking act on 58-year-old Charles Roy Rodriguez, who passed away from natural causes in January 2025.
According to police, Laudermilk was preparing Rodriguez’s body when she allegedly used a scalpel to cut into his groin area and castrate him. In a chilling detail, authorities say she stuffed the remains into his mouth.
The disturbing act was reportedly carried out in front of an embalming student, who was warned by Laudermilk not to speak about what had happened.
After the incident, another employee reportedly noticed Rodriguez’s disfigured body and questioned Laudermilk about it. She allegedly responded by saying he had “a lot going on with him.”
Investigators later found that Rodriguez had been a registered sex offender since 2001 after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 31-year-old woman.
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How Laudermilk became aware of Rodriguez’s criminal history has not yet been clarified, but authorities are taking the matter very seriously.
“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,” said Harris County Constable Alan Rosen.
Laudermilk has been charged with abuse of a corpse, and the funeral home reported the incident to the authorities after the mutilation was discovered.
While some have expressed empathy for victims of sexual assault, authorities stress that there is no excuse for violating the dignity of the deceased.
The case highlights serious ethical concerns within the funeral industry and the potential consequences of personal beliefs influencing professional conduct.
The legal process will now determine the full scope of the actions and the responsibility of the funeral home worker involved.
