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Banner Health officials say a security guard at one of its Phoenix hospitals was fired after being accused of having "sexual contact" with a woman’s body in the morgue.
On Monday, December 4, it was announced that 46-year-old Randall Bird was formally charged in Maricopa County Superior Court with one count of necrophilia.
The incident reportedly occurred in October at the Banner University Medical Center near 12th Street and McDowell Road.
Police documents say the guard, identified as Bird, was seen inside a freezer behind the locked morgue doors on top of a gurney with a 79-year-old woman’s body. The woman had reportedly died of natural causes and her body bag had been unzipped, police say.
The other security personnel who spotted Bird say he “was acting very nervous,” and had his clothing undone.
Security guards are reportedly tasked with moving bodies to the morgues and freezers, but they are not supposed to open the body bags, police say.
Bird reportedly told officials that he had a medical episode and grabbed onto the body, which he inaccurately stated was “broken.” Bird then told police he could not remember what happened after the medical episode.
Injuries were found on the victim’s body and multiple samples of DNA evidence were collected, which matched Bird, documents say.
Bird was arrested and booked into jail on numerous counts of crimes against a dead person, all felony charges.
Police documents say Bird is on supervised release until a preliminary hearing next month.
Banner Health released the following statement about the incident:
"We are saddened and appalled by the alleged actions of an individual at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix that resulted in his arrest on November 28, 2023.
"Recently, Banner team members identified and reported concerning behavior of an employee in the hospital morgue. Banner initiated an internal investigation, filed a report with law enforcement and terminated the employee.
"Banner Health has and remains committed to high standards that require each of our team members to treat everyone, at every stage of life, with compassion, dignity, and respect. We are grateful for the work of the Phoenix Police Department in the investigation and handling of this matter, and we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.
"Out of respect for the family, we will not further comment at this time."
