Houston, TX – March 16, 2025 – A licensed embalmer in Texas has been charged with abuse of a corpse following a disturbing incident at a Harris County funeral home. Amber Paige Laudermilk, 34, allegedly severed the penis of a deceased man and placed it in his mouth, according to authorities.
The investigation began after the Texas Funeral Service Commission received a complaint from the funeral director of Claire Brothers Funeral Home, which operates Memorial Mortuary and Crematory. The director reported that employees had raised concerns about Laudermilk’s actions involving the body of 58-year-old Charles Roy Rodriguez, who was being prepared for burial.
Court documents reveal that on February 7, Laudermilk allegedly used a scalpel to mutilate Rodriguez’s corpse after discovering he was a registered sex offender.
A trainee embalmer, who was working on another body nearby, witnessed the act. Laudermilk reportedly told the trainee, “You didn’t see anything,” in what the employee described as a threatening tone. When other staff members later approached the body, Laudermilk allegedly draped a sheet over Rodriguez’s groin and remarked that he “had a lot going on with him,” in an apparent attempt to conceal her actions.
The Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 1 took up the case following the funeral director’s report. According to Constable Alan Rosen, Rodriguez had a criminal history, having been convicted in 2008 of sexually assaulting a woman. He was sentenced to 10 years of deferred adjudication and listed on the state’s sex offender registry.
Laudermilk’s alleged actions have shocked the local community and raised questions about oversight in the funeral industry. The charge of abuse of a corpse, a misdemeanor in Texas, carries potential penalties of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine if she is convicted.
Authorities have not released additional details about Laudermilk’s motives or mental state at the time of the incident. The case is ongoing, with a court date pending. Memorial Mortuary and Crematory has not issued a public statement regarding the allegations or Laudermilk’s employment status.