Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Pennsylvania funeral home gave a couple their deceased son's personal belongings, and you won't believe what they found in one of the cardboard boxes
Not The Bee ^ | August 03, 2025 | Mister Retrops

Posted on 08/04/2025 6:44:12 AM PDT by Red Badger

You just can't make this stuff up.

When Lawrence and Abbey Butler's 56-year-old son, Timothy Garlington, passed away in Georgia, they had his remains returned to Pennsylvania for burial. The shipping funeral home was Southern Cremations & Funerals at Cheatham Hill, and the receiving funeral home was Nix and Nix.

It's probably a standard procedure for folks who die away from home.

[Fair Warning: from this point forward, this story has a gross factor of 10/10.] What's not so standard is that at some point in the process, someone removed Garlington's brain from his body and put it in an unmarked cardboard box among his personal items, which were then handed over to the family.

The family is suing both funeral homes for the emotional trauma this action caused.

Usually, I would say that, while things that cause emotional trauma are terrible mistakes, we're too lawsuit happy in this country, and emotional trauma isn't something that should be awarded financially.

But in this case, well, let's just say I'm feeling a little differently.

The Butlers' attorney, L. Chris Stewart, said at a news conference,

‘Several days later, the red box, which was in the Butlers' car, began to smell and leak fluid, Stewart said. When Lawrence Butler picked it up, the fluid covered his hands, which was brain matter. It's insane.'

Lawrence Butler said that they had to get rid of their car because of the smell, and that now, their final memories of their son are of that awful red box.

Stewart said he had consulted other funeral homes, and that at no point in the process is the brain ‘separated from the body in that fashion and shipped in that fashion'. If it ever is, he said, then it is in a sealed bag and labeled as a biohazard.

According to NBC Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania funeral home insists they did nothing wrong. They back up the lawyer's comments that when a body is shipped to them, it's usually intact, and personal effects usually do not contain body parts.

They also said state inspectors have cleared them of any wrongdoing.

The Georgia funeral home has so far stayed mum on the subject.

But the Butlers' lawyer maintains both funeral homes are at fault:

There's no excuse, there is zero excuse for this type of error to happen. For the Georgia funeral home, Southern Cremations, to ship unmarked, bio-hazardous material. For the funeral home here in Philadelphia to hand the parents an unmarked box, not examined, not listed as part of the inventory that was the personal items, and to not check it. They have not received a single apology to this day from any funeral home.



TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Religion; Society; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: brain; brains; funeralhomes; notthebee; organs
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last
To: Red Badger

I bet the family wasn’t given any cash from his wallet or jewelry he was wearing.


21 posted on 08/04/2025 7:30:04 AM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I read this earlier - with a 10/10 gross factor warning.

How on earth did this happen?

Why was the brain separated from the body in the first place - and then sent back to the family in a box?

Needs to be traced back, so far all parties involved are saying they “didn’t do it.”


22 posted on 08/04/2025 7:30:43 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolutioan?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I prefer pirates.

The law is much friendlier to shooting them ...

😎


23 posted on 08/04/2025 7:33:24 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: fso301

Most likely not.


24 posted on 08/04/2025 7:33:55 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Remember the old National Lampoon Vacation movie where Chevy Chase hauled grandma home in the canoe on the roof of the car?

I joked with my wife when she asked about transporting my mother’s remains about 500 miles for burial. My reply, “I have a canoe!”

I also learned to cross the arms of the person on their chest after death. If you don’t, it’s hard to get the body through the doorway after rigor mortis sets in.


25 posted on 08/04/2025 7:34:11 AM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
There is also a "documentary" on HBO called "The Mortician" about dead body abuse at a California crematorium.

0-CB6-F6-D4-6348-4960-B847-5-DF13148-D55-F-4-5005-c

"The documentary details how Sconce exploited the deceased and grieving families to maximize profits through morally questionable and inhumane practices, including mass cremations, mixing human remains, and stealing valuables from the dead."

Including pulling gold teeth.

I couldn't get through the second episode (of three).

26 posted on 08/04/2025 7:34:41 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolutioan?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Well, the brain didn’t remove itself from the buy’s skull.

And nobody else would have and then given it to the funeral home.

Therefore someone at the funeral home had to be the one who did it.

Yes, we are too lawsuit happy, but in this case, I’m with the parents. This is just horrific.


27 posted on 08/04/2025 7:39:44 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Someone wasn’t using his brain.


28 posted on 08/04/2025 7:52:34 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

The gas cremation furnace was broken and they hadn’t paid their utility bills so gas was also shut off.


29 posted on 08/04/2025 8:12:44 AM PDT by desertsolitaire
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

Yes...but they do not usually give the body or parts back to family...it goes to the school.


30 posted on 08/04/2025 8:15:30 AM PDT by goodnesswins (Democracy to Demo rats is stealing other peoples money for their use, no matter how idiotic)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: desertsolitaire

I remember the local sheriff there saying at the time:

This is just plain old sorry-ness!..............


31 posted on 08/04/2025 8:16:00 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Is this Funeral home owned by cannibals from New Guinea?
The Fore people practice funerary cannibalism.
Deceased family members were traditionally cooked and eaten, which was thought to help free the spirit of the dead.
Women and children usually ate the brain, where infectious prions were most concentrated, and therefore were more commonly affected by Kuru.
Kuru is Bad JuJu!
32 posted on 08/04/2025 8:26:47 AM PDT by Waverunner (Torah! Torah! Torah! my favorite IDF radio code.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Why does everyone presume that it was the son’s brains? I doubt that antone can tell by looking.


33 posted on 08/04/2025 10:56:49 AM PDT by the_Watchman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson