Son's Brain Found in Box from Funeral Home
Couple Files Lawsuit Against Funeral Homes
An American couple experienced a shocking incident when they discovered their deceased son's brain inside a box they had received as part of his belongings. The couple has filed lawsuits against two funeral homes.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia and other sources on July 24 (local time), Lawrence Butler and Abby Butler filed lawsuits against Nix & Nix Funeral Home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Southern Cremations & Funerals in Georgia.
According to their complaint, the couple's son, Timothy Gallington, died in November 2023 at the age of 56. Although he was originally from Philadelphia, he was living in Georgia at the time of his death. The family instructed Southern Cremations & Funerals in Georgia to transfer Gallington's body to Nix & Nix Funeral Home.
After the funeral, the couple received a plain white box along with their son's belongings. They kept the box in their car, but soon noticed a strange odor and saw liquid leaking from it. When they opened the box, they claim to have found Gallington's brain tissue inside.
The Butlers filed the lawsuit, alleging that the two funeral homes had mishandled human remains and had intentionally inflicted emotional distress. On July 24, Lawrence, the father, held a press conference with his attorney in Philadelphia and said tearfully, "That (my son's brain) is still in my mind," adding, "The moment I got into the car, I smelled the scent of death." He continued, "All I can do is pray that this never happens to anyone else again," and explained, "We had to get rid of the car. We simply could not bear the thought that remains had been inside it."
Chris Stewart, the attorney representing the Butlers, said, "They have not received any apology or explanation from either funeral home," and added, "They have no idea what happened."
However, the owner of Nix & Nix Funeral Home told NBC10 that he was unaware that brain tissue was inside the box. He also stated, "Whenever remains are sent from another funeral home, everything should be kept intact," and explained, "The state funeral home regulatory board conducted a thorough investigation and concluded that we were not at fault."
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