A grieving woman is taking a funeral home to court, suing for $2.25 million in damages after allegedly receiving her late partner's clothes covered in brain matter.
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In September 2025, Blountville, Tennessee, resident Sheila McGilvrey tragically discovered her longtime partner, Richard Pretzeus, dead outside his home. Pretzeus died by suicide, according to The New York Post.
Pretzeus' body was taken to the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center for an autopsy before being transferred to Weaver Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Bristol, Tennessee, for cremation.
However, McGilvrey allegedly made another grisly discovery when some of her late partner's belongings were returned to her.
McGilvrey told local outlet WJHL that she received a brown paper bag stamped with the word "clothing." However, when she opened it, she claims there was more than clothing inside.
"I open that brown sack, and on the inside was a white plastic trash bag," McGilvrey recalled to the outlet. "The cinch-tie ones, you know, you have to kind of put your fingers in that little hole to pull it back open, and when I did that, my fingers kind of raked across something."
Woman Describes Grisly Discovery: 'Chunks of Brain Matter'
That something, McGilvrey alleges, was part of her partner's remains.
"When I looked, it looked to be chunks of brain matter on top of the pile of clothing," she told WJHL.
In addition, McGilvrey's lawsuit, obtained by WJHL, alleges that her partner's returned shoes and clothes, which he was wearing when he died, were covered with "sticky bodily fluid."
McGilvrey claims she fainted following the discovery. Her son then allegedly took the bag and its contents to a nearby fire pit and disposed of them.
However, even with the belongings disposed of, McGilvrey said the experience continued to affect her.
"It took a long time for me to process what happened because it's just mind-blowing," McGilvrey told WJHL. "It's so unbelievable, you can imagine. So, after that, I reached out to several different agencies.
"I hope I get some answers, and I hope that there's different protocols put in place to make sure that this never happens again," she added.
Woman Seeks $2.25 Million in Lawsuit Against Funeral Home
McGilvrey contacted the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) about the alleged incident.
"NAME told me that it must have been an oversight on their, on their medical examiner's part," she told WJHL.
According to WJHL, NAME told McGilvrey that the alleged incident did "not violate accreditation standards" and described the situation as "an unfortunate oversight by the office."
McGilvrey also contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus told WJHL that the TBI looked into the matter but did not find any criminal law violations.
Meanwhile, an attorney for Weaver Funeral Home & Cremation Services told WJHL that the funeral home could not comment on pending litigation but welcomed the opportunity to defend against the allegations in court.
According to the lawsuit, McGilvrey and her son are seeking $2.25 million in damages, alleging that the incident caused them "severe emotional distress and suffering."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) also remains available.
