Integrity Funeral Home: Mom slams facility that let her son's body 'rot' causing guests to vomit
HOUSTON, TEXAS: Julieta Guerra, the mother of Edward Silva, is suing a Houston funeral home for vandalizing her son's body before the funeral. Guerra, who hired Integrity Funeral Home at Forest Lawn Cemetery to embalm and bury Silva, 43, after his untimely death in 2021, claimed the establishment let his remains "literally rot".
Guerra is currently suing the funeral home for $1 million, claiming that her son's body was left to "literally rot," creating an intolerable odor that caused family members to throw up at the funeral, according to a lawsuit obtained by New York Post. Silva was supposed to be embalmed on February 12, 2021, but when his mother finally had a chance to see the body on February 23, 2021, just hours before his funeral, she alleges it was in a terribly degraded state. The lawsuit claimed carelessness and deceptive conduct, and stated, "The body was badly deteriorated and smelled rotten. 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."
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'This is not my son'
Guerra allegedly fainted after seeing her son's body and exclaimed, "This is not my son," according to the lawsuit. Silva's parents had to rip the garment open to drape it over his body because it wouldn't fit during his wake due to the "severe post-mortem swelling of the body." White gloves had to be put on his hands because bodily fluids were oozing from his fingers and ears, according to the lawsuit.
Silva's grieving parents were forced to schedule a closed casket visitation instead of an open one as they had originally planned due to the smell of decomposing flesh. They also brought in a strong odor-repellant that is used by cleaning specialists in an attempt to mask the smell, but it still lingered. The lawsuit claimed, "The smell of decomposition was just so distracting. Everyone kept covering their noses to help them tolerate the smell, and some guests were retching."
Who runs the Integrity Funeral Home?
There isn't much information available about who runs the Integrity Funeral Home at Forrest Lawn Cemetery, but its history stretches back to the 1920s, according to Forrest Lawn Houston. Old Genoa Cemetry was the original name of the funeral home when it first opened its doors in the 1920s. The owner's family planted "acorn seeds along the roadways" as a tiny gesture when they expanded in 1955.
On the website, the funeral states, "Losing a loved one is a very emotional time, and we would like to take this time to share stories and memories to pay tribute to your loved one. In the coming years we hope to make the surroundings the most comfortable for you during this difficult time."
What went so wrong with the funeral service?
The lawsuit filed by Guerra alleges that the funeral home's employees hindered her from seeing her son, but it doesn't state why they neglected to embalm him, according to New York Post. On February 11, 2021, Silva's body was sent to the funeral home with plans to be embalmed the next day. His mother claims she requested entry to the funeral home on February 12, 2021, but was refused.
Silva's funeral was postponed further due to a severe winter storm that left half of Texas without power for five days. Guerra claims that when she arrived at the cemetery on February 14, 2021, she discovered it was without power and lacked a backup generator, both of which she feels contributed to the condition of her son's remains, which she was only able to observe on February 23, 2021.
Guerra claimed that the funeral home did not apologize to her for her son's condition and that she was even told not to sue them. The lawsuit stated, "A few months later, [the funeral home director] made an unsolicited phone call to Julieta saying 'Please don't sue the funeral home or they will let people go.'" Guerra's lawyer claimed that because of how terribly Silvas' funeral went, she has depression, panic attacks, and persistent crying, which makes it difficult for her to work. She is requesting $1 million in damages from the court.