Texas mother says funeral home took her 5-year-old daughter’s remains and offered free services, only to get a $10,000 bill instead

A mother was grieving the death of her young child when she was allegedly approached by a Texas funeral home that offered its services for free. However, the mother claimed that the funeral home later sent her an invoice amounting to almost $10,000.

On Sept. 19 at around 11:30pm, Monica Hicks was in a vehicle with her five children when a man in a pickup truck pulled up beside them along Grant Road in Houston, Texas, before opening fire at Hicks’ vehicle. Two of the children suffered minor injuries from the broken glass, while Hicks’ five-year-old daughter, Zah’Layah Walton, was fatally shot in the head.

According to Hicks, she did not communicate with the suspect, 47-year-old Jeremy Porter, prior to the shooting. “My windows are crystal clear, so you see my children inside of my car. I didn’t exchange words with the individual, didn’t see them coming, didn’t even know they were behind me,” Hicks said, per KHOU 11.

Texas funeral home allegedly sent an invoice

Two days after the tragedy, a vigil attended by community members was held in honor of Zah’Layah. Among the attendees was reportedly the funeral director of Pruitt’s Funeral Home, Linda Davis, who immediately reached out to the family and announced their intention to shoulder the cost of the funeral.

“We reached out to the family and asked if we could do the services pro bono,” Davis said at the vigil. “We will be taking care of the arrangements at Pruitt in the Heights for baby girl Zah’Layah.”

Now, Hicks has accused the funeral home of taking advantage of them and reneging on its promise after it allegedly sent her a nearly $10,000 invoice for the funeral. Pruitt’s Funeral Home, however, denied backing out of the pro bono arrangement.

Pruitt’s Funeral Home claimed that a misunderstanding occurred and that they had to send an itemized statement in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. “Itemized statement. That is by law; I’m supposed to give you a funeral contract. So there was nothing done wrong,” Davis said. Hicks, however, argued that bills are adjusted accordingly for pro bono arrangements.

Mother says she couldn’t remember what the paperwork contained

Hicks also claimed that the Texas funeral home took Zah’Layah’s body from the medical examiner’s office to Pruitt’s Funeral Home without her permission. But Davis disputed this allegation, stating, “Mom did authorize us to pick up your daughter,” and added that everything on their side was up to par.

Hicks later admitted she signed the paperwork before her daughter’s body was transferred. However, Hicks said she couldn’t remember what the paperwork contained in the midst of her grief, per Houston Stringer.

According to Hicks, she was initially going to use the fundraiser and crime victims’ support earnings to help pay for Zah’Layah’s burial. But with the invoice, those plans were derailed. Reportedly, Hicks decided to transfer her daughter’s remains to Signature Funeral Home following the incident and was offered another pro bono arrangement.

“She was the light of my life, which is why I’m standing here right now,” Hicks said. Meanwhile, the gunman, Porter, told authorities that he thought Hicks’ vehicle belonged to someone else. He was later arrested and is now facing capital murder charges.

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