A Texas mortuary worker has been accused of fraudulently obtaining copies of death certificates and dismembering corpses to conduct “experiments.”
Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, carried out the alleged crimes while employed at Capital Mortuary Services in north Austin, according to court documents. She turned herself in to Travis County Jail on April 18.
She has been charged with one count of state-jail felony abuse of corpse and five counts of second-degree felony tampering with governmental records with intent to defraud or harm.
It comes after the Austin Police Department was made aware of an investigation by the Texas Funeral Service Commission into Capital Mortuary Services, which was launched following a complaint from a former TFSC employee.
The employee claimed that Bui had “fraudulently initiated and obtained at least 10 death certificates under his name,” and that she had allegedly conducted “experiments” on corpses’ arms, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KXAN.
APD later discovered 128 cases where Bui had used the man’s name to complete or amend death certificates.
According to KXAN, her alleged experiments involved injecting formaldehyde into the arms to see “the effect it had over time on severed extremities.”
Police obtained screenshots from a work computer in December 2023, which appeared to show photos and updates on the experiments by Bui under a conversation thread titled “Freedom Art Experiment.”
The TFSC investigator stated that once Bui was finished with the limbs, she “then allowed the severed body parts to be placed in the crematory retort, where the body parts in their dissected and disturbed state, would be cremated,” KXAN reported.
On April 10, APD executed a search warrant at Capital Mortuary Services and officers spoke to Bui about the allegations.
According to KXAN, she admitted to using the former employee’s identity to submit death certificates without his consent.
She also admitted that she “directed her employees to conduct experiments on bodies to study the effects of embalming fluid with and without formaldehyde,” which included “cutting heads, arms and spines from remains sent to her facility while acting in the licensed capacity as a mortuary,” the outlet reported.
It was later revealed that Bui also worked with medical-training company MedtoMarket on the alleged experiments.
The CEO of MedtoMarket later told APD he knew Capital Mortuary was embalming arms to see how long they could preserve them and that such practices were common among medical schools. However, he denied any “experimental testing.”
In a statement to KXAN, MedtoMarket said it “has become aware of certain allegations related to a mortuary MedtoMarket has contracted with in performing its important work and mission. MedtoMarket will cooperate with law enforcement and state regulatory officials as part of any investigation.”
Bui’s lawyer, Jessica Huynh of Smith and Vinson Law Firm, said the 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… with the expectation of fairness and due process,” she said.
According to online court records, Bui is currently out on bond.
