Cases dismissed for 2 people accused of corpse experimentation at Austin mortuary

AUSTIN, Texas - The Travis County District Attorney's Office is dismissing cases against two people involved in alleged "experiments" on corpses at a North Austin mortuary.

Adeline Bui was arrested in connection with alleged "experiments" on corpses and fraudulently-obtained death certificates. 

Later, Aaron Ali was arrested and charged in connection with the investigation into alleged "experiments" on corpses and fraudulently obtained death certificates at Capital Mortuary Services.

What we know:

The abuse of a human corpse without legal authority case and the aggravated perjury case involving Dr. Aaron Ali, 53, were dismissed. The abuse of a human corpse without legal authority case was also dismissed for Adeline Bui, 50.

The DA's office said after a review of the cases, there was sufficient evidence of a legal defense. 

"In every case, we are obligated to evaluate the facts and evidence to establish that the felony offenses can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. "In these cases, we have concluded that sufficient evidence of a legal defense exists, which precludes us from proceeding with the cases."

However, Bui's five separate tampering with government records cases will continue to be prosecuted.

What happened?

Timeline:

On April 18, Austin police arrested Bui and charged her with abuse of a human corpse without legal authority and five separate cases of tampering with government records. 

On April 28, Austin police arrested Ali and charged him with abuse of a human corpse without legal authority and aggravated perjury.

The backstory:

Austin Police Department investigation

The TFSC called in the Austin Police Department on April 2 and provided APD with copies of eight death certificates, allegedly signed by the former embalmer via an electronic signature, says court paperwork.

The former embalmer swore in an affidavit that he had not even been employed as a funeral director with Capital Mortuary Services, and instead was employed as a crematory operator, driver and embalmer. He also stated he never accessed the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar (or TxEVER) to obtain those eight death certificates.

APD also found the embalmer's name and an allegedly forged signature on a correction form for a ninth person. The form had him listed as a "funeral director" in order to amend the certificate and request copies. The affidavit states that Bui signed the form as a notary.

More evidence came forward about a tenth fraudulent certificate, which included screenshots from the former employee of an alleged communication with Bui from December 2023. 

In the communications, Bui allegedly wrote "let's us[e] this update to monitor our experiment," which was followed by several photos of what police believed were severed and detached arms showing various stages of decomposition. 

TSFC investigators told APD that Bui "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," says court paperwork.

The TSFC's executive director also told APD that Capital Mortuary Services was licensed as a "commercial embalming and crematory facility" and that the commission had "neither approved nor received any documentation or application for CMS to operate as a registered anatomical facility". 

TSFC investigators also informed APD that the allegations were a "recurring theme" associated with "miscommunication with families, improper documentation, unprofessional conduct, and possible fraud." TSFC also learned that the former embalmer's name had been used at least 128 times for death certificates under the mortuary's name.

APD records also showed other incidents of improper cremation procedures and alleged potential fraud in connection with Capital Mortuary Services.