Mom Theresa Brunelle : An Undertaker Fondled My Daughter Lakisha

**Whisper** · April 10th, 2012, 07:27 PM

Lakisha Brunelle

LONGVIEW, Wash. -- A local mother believes her daughter's body was fondled at a Longview funeral home: "I heard her words in my head," Theresa Brunelle told KOIN. "I heard her say, 'Mom, I felt violated.'"

Her daughter, Lakisha Brunelle, died this past summer. The family filed a lawsuit against that funeral home Thursday.

"She was victimized even after death," Brunelle said. "The guy violated my baby when she died and there was nothing she could do to protect herself."

It has been less than a year since Theresa Brunelle said her final goodbyes to her daughter. She still cries every day.

Lakisha confided in her mother shortly before dying that the 60 surgeries she has endured had taught her, all too well, what it was like to be violated. Now, Theresa has been told a worker at the Columbia Funeral Service in Longview may have fondled her daughter's body before she was cremated.

[...]
The long-time owner of the Columbia Funeral Service did not want to be on camera as part of KOIN's story. However, he did tell The Daily News in Longview earlier this week that the man at the center of these accusations told him he was only checking her body for a pacemaker and not sexually abusing it.

Longview police investigated this case back in February. The Cowlitz County prosecutor's office declined to file charges, concluding it would be difficult to prove anything was done for the purpose of sexual gratification.

The family, nonetheless, is suing Dorothy and the funeral home in civil court for an undisclosed amount of money.

They know it won't bring Lakisha back. However, the family said it might show the funeral operator just how mad they are over what they said was the fondling of not just a body but of a family member.

http://www.koinlocal6.com/mostpopula...3TXIWMihA.cspx

I have to say her daughter was absolutely beautiful

**sugarfree irony** · April 10th, 2012, 07:37 PM

Has this person who told her of the maybe fondle been named ? This sounds like a disturbed grieving mom , at best ; a money grab , at worst .

**Whisper** · April 10th, 2012, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by sugarfree irony

Has this person who told her of the maybe fondle been named ? This sounds like a disturbed grieving mom , at best ; a money grab , at worst .

I really dont know anymore then whats in th article but I am really leaning to grieving mom b/c I have been there and your heads really messed up for awhile

**princessgrandma** · April 10th, 2012, 07:41 PM

Yeah, a really beautiful girl who was violated after her death. You know, any kind of crap like this is disgusting, whether the victim is alive, or dead and can't be aware of what's happened. It happened. That's what matters.

So, were her health issues related to her heart? Was this in there and I just missed it? I saw the part about over 60 surgeries or something, but I didn't see what kind of surgeries or for what. Did she actually HAVE a pacemaker, and if she did, what did that matter to the funeral home worker? Was he collecting scrap metal or something? It just keeps getting more disgusting, if that's possible.

They can't prove anything sexual happened? They couldn't have examined her body the same as if she were alive? I have a feeling that Mr. Touchy-Feely probably left some trace of himself in this process. I can't imagine that some jerk like this just wastes an easy opportunity like this.

If this had been my daughter, I'd be going nuts days after day, thinking about this scumbag with his hands on my daughter's body.

**Whisper** · April 10th, 2012, 07:46 PM

they didnt get into her health issues I was thinking heart too if they were looking for "pacemaker" as he stated

**AngelFire** · April 10th, 2012, 07:58 PM

I bet it's the grieving that has taken a toll on her. The daughter was a stunner but so is mom. Aside from looking a bit beat up, which is understandable in her situation, she is a very beautiful lady herself.

Theresa Brunelle told KOIN. "I heard her say, 'Mom, I felt violated.'"

Is she saying she heard her in her head or she actually heard her daughter say that? I am so confused and it's a short report.

**sugarfree irony** · April 10th, 2012, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by princessgrandma

So, were her health issues related to her heart? Was this in there and I just missed it? I saw the part about over 60 surgeries or something, but I didn't see what kind of surgeries or for what. Did she actually HAVE a pacemaker, and if she did, what did that matter to the funeral home worker? Was he collecting scrap metal or something? It just keeps getting more disgusting, if that's possible.

I think they have to remove certain appliances like pacemakers before cremation , or they can explode .
http://decorative-urns.com/cremation...-did-you-know/

Pacemakers with lithium batteries are removed prior to cremation – they explode during the process.

**princessgrandma** · April 10th, 2012, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by sugarfree irony

I think they have to remove certain appliances like pacemakers before cremation , or they can explode .
http://decorative-urns.com/cremation...-did-you-know/

Wow, thanks. I'm not a total idiot, I promise, but that info never occurred to me. It makes sense.

**HeatherHabilatory** · April 10th, 2012, 08:17 PM

Anyone know how an undertaker normally looks for a pacemaker? I mean, do they look in the vaginal region at all?

**Whisper** · April 10th, 2012, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by HeatherHabilatory

Anyone know how an undertaker normally looks for a pacemaker? I mean, do they look in the vaginal region at all?

But we dont even know he or she was in the vaginal area,unless theres a witness or tape we dont have privvy to
I feel for her I have been there
But I honestly know also what head games go on in your head that nobody else hears
Im hoping its just a grieving mom that needs counsellor but IF there is some evidence we dont know about then the person needs to be shot and pissed on

**Whisper** · April 10th, 2012, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by HeatherHabilatory

Anyone know how an undertaker normally looks for a pacemaker? I mean, do they look in the vaginal region at all?

And honestly Im not a cardiac nurse or surgeon so Im not up on all the new things they do
BUT I am a geriatrics nurse and know from my residents having heart surgery they go through the groin to unblock arteries and now more recently through the wrist
because they are less invasive surgeries then cracking a chest open
So whos to say they havent come upon new ways of doing other heart things

**ineedanap** · April 10th, 2012, 10:02 PM

Unreal. The comments here regarding the funeral profession, are out of bounds. The mother is clearly out of her mind in grief,why would anyone think the "undertaker' did something. JFC.

**HeatherHabilatory** · April 10th, 2012, 10:25 PM

I was asking a legitimate question because I've never prepared a body for a funeral myself. Excuuuuse me. JFC.

**Gidget** · April 10th, 2012, 10:39 PM

I didn't see where they specified what exactly this worker was accused of doing. What I do know is that when my uncle was alive, his pacemaker was in his chest, and you could feel it if you looked for it. I assumed this is what they were referring to.

I feel terrible for this woman. No one should have to lose a child. But at the same time, I don't see anything in the article to indicate that the worker has done anything inappropriate with respect to her daughter's body. Unless the worker has confessed to something, or there is more evidence than is indicated here, I don't see where she has a case at all.

**Robynne** · April 11th, 2012, 12:19 AM

My guess would be fondled a breast....

**Cassy** · April 11th, 2012, 11:02 AM

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_0c...cc4c03286.html

**Dakota Valkyrie** · April 11th, 2012, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Mybabiesmomma

Is she saying she heard her in her head or she actually heard her daughter say that? I am so confused and it's a short report.

OK. I snorted coffee out my nose on that one. Most folks don't have close encounters with undertakers unless they're dead. As far as I know, they don't do early check ins.

The daughter telling the mom she got fondled is in mom's head even if mom heard it "out loud".

**Dakota Valkyrie** · April 11th, 2012, 11:22 AM

The lawsuit alleges the male employee "fondled, played and jiggled" Judge's breasts and commented ‘''they are perky'" and "must be implants to look like that."
[...]

A female employee of Columbia Funeral Services told police that she witnessed the male employee do this. The employee told Judge's sister last month.

Brunelle notified Longview police, who conducted an investigation. Det. Steve Dennis said investigators could not substantiate that a crime occurred, but declined to elaborate.

No charges were filed against the employee.

Brunelle said officers told her this is due to the statute for the crime of sexually violating human remains, which requires gratifying the sexual desire of the person.

She filed a lawsuit Thursday, seeking an undetermined amount of money more than $3,000 for "severe emotional distress, outrage and depression as a result of the action of the defendants' actions."
[...]

The Washington State Department of Licensing, which licenses funeral homes, is currently investigating Columbia Funeral Services. A spokeswoman said they received a complaint from police, but said she could not discuss specifics.

The employee still works at the funeral home.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/17348437/f...-fondling-body

I wonder if the female worker reported it to her boss and why she didn't report it to the licensing board and cops.

**AngelFire** · April 11th, 2012, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

OK. I snorted coffee out my nose on that one. Most folks don't have close encounters with undertakers unless they're dead. As far as I know, they don't do early check ins.

The daughter telling the mom she got fondled is in mom's head even if mom heard it "out loud".

LMAO No shit. Hey I am gifted damn it, gifted.

**HeatherHabilatory** · April 11th, 2012, 05:16 PM

Ok. Now, he needs to fucking go. Cuz that shit is not right. Granted, I'm donating my body to science after I die, so who knows what's going to happen to it, but people who choose to have their loved ones buried, should be respected. And their loved one's bodies UN-MOLESTED.