Atlanta, GA — A grieving mother’s pain has been compounded by unimaginable horror after a funeral viewing meant to honor her son’s life turned into a scene of trauma and outrage. Tabitha Worrell, the mother of Torreon Williams, has filed a lawsuit against a local funeral home after she and other family members discovered Williams’ body covered in clumps of maggots during his scheduled viewing.
According to the lawsuit, mourners who gathered to pay their final respects were left shocked and devastated when they approached Torreon’s casket and found his face, nose, and mouth visibly infested with maggots. Witnesses say the sight left the family “paralyzed with grief and disbelief,” with many becoming physically ill from the trauma of the experience.
“This was supposed to be a moment of peace—a chance to say goodbye,” Worrell said in an emotional statement. “Instead, we were met with a nightmare. What they did to my son is unforgivable.”
The incident has sent shockwaves through the community and raised serious concerns about the funeral home’s practices and level of care. The lawsuit alleges gross negligence and mishandling of Williams’ body, claiming the funeral home failed in its most basic responsibility: to treat the deceased with dignity and the bereaved with compassion.
Worrell’s legal team states that the family had entrusted the facility with preparing Torreon for a respectful, open-casket viewing. Instead, they say the body was in such an advanced state of decomposition—with visible maggots on his skin and inside his nostrils—that it was clear proper preservation steps had been neglected.
The funeral home has yet to issue a formal statement.
Community leaders and clergy have voiced support for the Worrell family, calling for stricter oversight and accountability in the funeral industry. “No family should ever have to endure what the Worrells experienced,” said Rev. Jordan Fields of Greater Grace Ministries. “Death is hard enough. This was a betrayal of trust.”
Torreon Williams, remembered by friends and family as a kind-hearted, spirited young man, had been tragically lost far too soon. Instead of closure, his family now faces a second trauma—one they never could have imagined.
The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress and aims to prevent any other family from suffering the same fate.
What was meant to be a moment of peace became a moment of unspeakable pain—and a call for justice.
