Ex-employee sues mortuary after work on slain mother and child

This story has been updated with a statement from Accucare Mortuary Services.

FORT WORTH — A former mortuary worker is suing for wrongful termination after reporting he suffered post-traumatic stress following his handling of the bodies of a mother and 3-month-old son who were brutally killed.

Jeremy Glen Hoes is suing Accucare Mortuary Services saying he was fired for threatening to file a workers compensation claim after performing work on Shanna Riddle Vandewege and her 3-month old son, Diederick. Her husband, Craig, has been charged with capital murder.

Investigators suspect that Craig Vandewege cut the throats of his wife and 3-month-old son before going to work Dec. 15. Shanna Vandewege was found dead in the bed in the master bedroom, her son in his bassinet next to the bed, according to police.

The lawsuit does not mention the Vandewege family by name. But Hoes’ attorney, Robert Goodman, did not deny that the work described in the suit involves the Vandeweges.

In a statement released by Accucare late Thursday, the company characterized Hoes’ claims as “without merit,” and said that the lawsuit contains “information that is both misleading and inaccurate.”

Joanna Salinas, the Austin attorney representing Accucare, said “the company is not interested in trying this lawsuit in the media but he is making claims that didn’t come up until after his termination.”

“Accucare denies the accusations and looks forward to defending the case in court,” Salinas said.

Salinas wouldn’t respond to the particular allegations made in Hoes’ lawsuit, but said she felt “bad for this poor family that is being mentioned and having to relive this tragedy.”

Hoes, who worked at Accucare for at least three years, said he suffered a “post-traumatic stress reaction” after working on the bodies Dec. 16, according to Goodman and court records. While the lawsuit states that Shanna and Diederick were decapitated, a Fort Worth police official said their throats had been slashed.

Hoes also says he was injured after handling the body of a man in November who committed suicide by ingesting paint fumes. Hoes said he was not provided required personal protective equipment and now suffers from chronic asthma, the lawsuit states.

Accucare, in its statement, refutes that allegation, saying that evidence will show the employee never picked up a body of someone who died from inhaling paint fumes and that there are vehicles are equipped with hazmat equipment.

Hoes said he told his employers that he planned to file workers compensation claims from the two cases, but was told not to because the amount of premiums and exposure associated with such coverage were unreasonable, and that they would pay for his medical expenses, records show.

Hoes said he was fired in January, two days after he said he planned on filing the claims. He was told that his services were no longer needed, the lawsuit states. Accucare’s statement said the company carries worker’s compensation coverage and that it clearly posts the information employees need to file a claim.

Hoes is suing for more than $100,000 but no more than $1 million, stating that the Texas Labor Code protects his right to file a workers compensation claim and to hire an attorney to represent him.

He is seeking actual and punitive damages. Goodman couldn’t say how much Hoes’ medical bills were.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Ex-employee sues mortuary after work on slain mother and child."