LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — All the bodies that were taken from McDermott’s Funeral Home have been identified, according to Clark County.
The county tells FOX5 146 bodies were taken from the shuttered funeral home and transferred to Davis Funeral Homes.
The state had revoked the owner Christopher Grant’s licensed after they say he failed to cremate bodies on time. Since FOX5 first aired our report, families with loved ones reached out to us to share their story.
“I told him multiple times to take care of my daughter. He promised me that he would,” Alyssa Serna said.
Alyssa and her fiancé, Hector Cabrera, would later find out that promise was likely not kept by Grant. Their baby girl, Autumn Serna, drowned June 2024, and her body was taken to McDermott’s to be cremated.
In a July 2024 inspection done by the Nevada Funeral Board would find “numerous decedents were not properly stored.” The inspector noted blood and bodily fluids in three different coolers.
Records show baby Autumn Serna was in cooler #4 that was listed in the inspection documents. After seeing the news about McDermott’s licensed being revoked, Alyssa contacted the board for their records.
“My heart dropped. I knew I would see her name eventually, but I was hoping it wasn’t going to be in those circumstances,” she said.
The parents tell FOX5 they wanted Autumn cremated so they could have her back home.
“We didn’t want her rotting away in a coffin, but to find out either way she was rotting away in a freezer that wasn’t refrigerating at all,” said father Hector.
The parents tell FOX5 the only red flag they noticed was how long it took for Autumn’s ashes to come back. They would not get her ashes until November, four months after she died.
“He kept mentioning Clark County. ‘It’s all Clark County, I have no control,’” Alyssa said.
The family is not alone in their grief that is now overpowered by questions.
“She is unviewable because they told me the condition her body is in is already mummifying that her limbs were already decomposed,” Keline Baez said of her mom.
Keline and her sister Kelsie Omura told FOX5 their mom, Lynette, died July 17 and was one of the 146 bodies that was taken away from McDermott’s.
“On top of our mom passing away and dealing with so much grief, now stacking this on top of it has been very difficult,” Omura said.
The sisters say they got a call from the coroner’s office last week that their mom’s body was transferred to Davis. Once there, she was informed of the condition her mom’s body was in.
“Even if they showed me her, I wouldn’t be able to recognize her. She already had mold on her body,” Baez said.
However, because of the decomposition, the sisters said they were advised by Davis Funeral Home to not view their mom’s body.
“It’s like even in death my mom’s body is still suffering,” Baez said.
Last week, FOX5 went to McDermott’s Funeral Home and found the owner, however he refused to answer any of our questions.
Records show multiple bodies were not cremated on time. Documents revealed one body had been at the crematorium for more than 200 days.
The funeral board tells FOX5 Grant can reapply for a permit in five years.
Have a tip or story idea? You can reach Victoria at [email protected]
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
