New information has come to light in the disappearance of a San Antonio woman’s body, reports My San Antonio.
Julie Mott was 25 years old when she died from complications related to cystic fibrosis on August 8, 2015. She was to be buried on what would have been her 26th birthday, August 15. However, her body disappeared from the Mission Park Funeral Chapel on San Antonio’s North Side after her memorial service.
The strange disappearance received national coverage, yet the case remains unsolved.
My San Antonio reports that a review of new court documents revealed a “previously undisclosed relationship between Mission Park and a third-party mortuary service” whose employees had after-hours access to the funeral home.
The third-party company, identified as Beyer & Beitel by the Houston Chronicle, had been sued for mishandling a body not long before the disappearance of Mott’s remains.
At the time of the initial disappearance of Mott’s remains, the Houston Chronicle reported her body had been present in a casket during her memorial service at Mission Park Funeral Chapel. After the service, the casket holding Mott’s body was moved into a hallway where it awaited transfer for cremation.
When funeral home workers returned to work the next morning, the casket was empty. Police said they believed the theft of the body occurred between the conclusion of Mott’s service around 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. when the funeral home closed.
Initial investigations focused on Mott’s former boyfriend, Bill Wilburn, who was reportedly the last to leave Mott’s service and was described as “obsessed” with Mott. Mott and Wilburn had once been in a relationship, but had been broken up for two years, reported My San Antonio.
The newly disclosed relationship between Mission Park and Beyer & Beitel is important because Beyer & Beitel employees had “unfettered” access to the funeral home including door keys and alarm codes.
Mission Park owners Richard “Dick” and Kristin Tips initially denied that they used subcontractors to transport and embalm bodies. The new evidence increases attention on the practices of Mission Park and how their lax security may have contributed to the disappearance of Mott’s remains.
A spokesman for the San Antonio Police told My San Antonio that an investigation was still active.
“We’re following the leads as they come in. This case was handled in a way that a homicide would be investigated. We’re not taking any evidence for granted, and we’ve been reexamining things. It’s been a very comprehensive investigation.”
Feature photo: Facebook
