Cameron Wright, a Memphis hospital security officer, was seen by two witnesses having sex with a corpse in a body storage room.
St. Francis Hospital in Memphis says the former security officer's criminal record was clean prior to his hiring. Image: © 2018 Google
Cameron Wright, 23, has been charged with abuse of a corpse after being seen having sex with a dead body at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
Wright, a contract security officer at the hospital, admitted to the crime and has since been fired from St. Francis, according to WREG.
“Treating those we serve with dignity and respect is our top priority,” said St. Francis. “We contract with U.S. Security Associates for our hospital’s security services, and all officers are required to undergo thorough background checks.”
U.S. Security Associates — the employer of Wright — sent in a statement to WREG as well. They confirmed Wright was thoroughly screened and there was no criminal history in the officer’s background.
Prior to St. Francis, Wright worked as a security officer at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.
The victim, 37-year-old April Parham, died from a heart attack just one day before the assault, reports Fox 13.
She was being held in the body storage room so her organs could be harvested and later donated.
Parham’s family attorney, Murray Wells, explains the crime is a Class D Felony, with a maximum sentence of three years.
A Class D felony is the least serious grouping of felonies, according to this website on federal charges. Many are victimless crimes and are usually not associated with being violent or dangerous.
“This is an abuse of corpse rather than a rape case, which is what we think it ought to be,” Wells said.
Wright was released from jail on Friday evening after posting a $3,000 bail.
It is reported that Wright is now staying at the Lakeside Rehabilitation Center and will be getting a mental health evaluation to bring forward in court.
Wright’s sister told WREG that her brother’s mental state is questionable and described him as “child-like.”
Attorney Wells told the station, “We want to make sure that this man doesn’t get to rely on a mental crutch and that he gets the maximum punishment for the most reprehensible thing.”
Wright will be seen back in court in the next 30 days.
