A funeral director, labeled as “pure evil” by those he victimized, had his heartless treatment of deceased individuals’ remains exposed following a casual remark made by one of his employees.
Robert Bush, operating Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was found to have left bodies to decay for extended periods and provided grieving families with incorrect ashes, sometimes even displaying a smirk. He is now awaiting sentencing for 67 offenses committed over a 12-year span, with more than 100 victim impact statements scheduled to be presented in court.
The revelation of Bush’s misdeeds occurred in March 2024 during a trip to Arizona, USA, with his daughter when he sought assistance from Gary Pickering and Steve Emmerson, directors of Evergreen Funeral Directors, for a body recovery task in his absence.
Patrick Moore, a part-time worker at Legacy, shared with Pickering and Emmerson that Bush had instructed him not to return bodies to Legacy or assist in placing them in the refrigeration area due to unpleasant odors emanating from there, sparking suspicion about Legacy’s operations.
Upon further inquiry, Moore disclosed to Pickering and Emmerson that numerous bodies had been left at Legacy for years, estimating up to 29 bodies stored in a disturbing manner akin to a scene from a horror movie. Concerned about the legality of the situation, Moore revealed that some bodies had been at Legacy before he began working for Bush.
Subsequently, Pickering and Emmerson convinced Moore to grant them access to Legacy’s premises, where they were appalled by the conditions they witnessed. After informing the police, officers found a chilling setup at Bush’s location on Hessle Road, with multiple decomposing bodies stored in a cold storage area, some on racks, others in coffins, and evidence of human decay present.
During the search, a police officer discovered a small item wrapped in hospital wristbands belonging to Jasmine Beverley’s stillborn son, Sunny, who had been left uncremated for almost two years, contrary to what his mother believed.
Hull Crown Court learned that Bush had betrayed the trust of grieving families on a massive scale over 12 years, holding onto bodies past cremation deadlines, distributing incorrect ashes, failing to fulfill prepaid funeral arrangements, and misappropriating charity donations.
Bush, initially from Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, now residing in Otley, West Yorkshire, is currently in custody awaiting the conclusion of his sentencing at Hull Crown Court, which is projected to span five days and include testimonies from over 100 victims.
