North Austin Mortuary Employee Faces Felony Charges Over Corpse Experimentation and Fraudulent Death Certificates

A North Austin mortuary employee is facing serious felony charges following allegations of experimenting on corpses and fraudulently obtaining death certificates. ADELINE NGAN-BINH BUI, 50, has been charged with one count of state-jail felony abuse of a corpse and five counts of second-degree felony tampering with governmental records with intent to defraud or harm.

Court documents obtained by FOX 7 reveal that these incidents date back to at least August 2022. A former embalmer at Capital Mortuary Services has alleged to TFSC that BUI fraudulently initiated and obtained at least ten death certificates under his name and license number without his consent.

The former embalmer also claimed that BUI was conducting experiments on separated anatomical structures, including injecting formaldehyde into the arms of an unknown deceased individual and observing the effects over time on the severed limbs.

On April 10, a cease-and-desist letter was issued to the mortuary, citing failures to meet building, health, and safety codes, and mandating an immediate halt to all operations. The Austin Police Department reportedly received eight death certificates allegedly signed by the former embalmer via an electronic signature, according to court paperwork.

The former embalmer clarified that he was not employed as a funeral director at Capital Mortuary Services but rather as a crematory operator, driver, and embalmer. He stated that he never accessed the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar (TxEVER) to obtain the eight death certificates in question.

In December 2023, BUI allegedly communicated with a former employee regarding a fraudulent certificate, including screenshots. In one message, BUI reportedly wrote, “let’s us[e] this update to monitor our experiment,” accompanied by photos of what police described as severed and detached arms in various stages of decomposition.

TSFC investigators informed the Austin Police Department that BUI allowed the severed body parts to be placed in the crematory retort, where they were cremated in their dissected and disturbed state, according to court documents.

BUI‘s legal team issued a statement to FOX 7, emphasizing the presumption of innocence and the need for a careful evaluation of the evidence. “Our criminal justice system is based on the presumption of innocence and a careful, critical evaluation of the evidence, facts, and their sources,” the statement read. “This case involves complexities that are not immediately apparent and should not be sensationalized. Our legal team remains fully committed to defending and advocating for our client, ADELINE BUI, with the expectation of fairness and due process.”

Capital Mortuary Services is now closed.

[Sources: FOX 7, TFSC]