MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man accused of having sex with a corpse while working security at a hospital walked free Friday evening.
Family members of the victim were extremely frustrated Friday after Cameron Wright told a judge he expected to post his $3,000 bond, as they were planning their daughter’s funeral.
They couldn’t believe the bond wasn’t set higher after hearing what Wright is accused of doing to their loved one.
“You tell me he got a $3,000 bond?” her father asked. “I’m totally p****d with that. I don’t like that.”
April Parham was just 37 when she died from a cardiac arrest Wednesday at St. Francis Hospital. Family said she was a kindergarten teacher who ran the St. Jude marathon and traveled the world. They shared photos of her with WREG.
Her father, James Parham, said the family thought her body was in a secure facility at the hospital.
But later Wednesday, Memphis Police got an unnerving call — two men were reportedly caught a security guard having sex with a corpse in the St. Francis body storage room.
April’s cousin, a police officer, was the first officer to arrive, but family didn’t find out it was her until hospital staff called her mother several hours later.
“She told me that I had had a family member that was assaulted,” April’s mother, Sheila Parham, said.
Police then called with more information. The family felt sick to their stomach.
“How many times has he done this before, that if he was so relaxed doing this?” asked her brother, James Parham Jr.
Wright worked for U.S. Security Associates. A spokesperson told us in a statement Friday that the 23-year-old had “no criminal history” and “no one could have anticipated the criminal conduct in which the officer engaged.”
St. Francis says the officer was terminated and the state told us his license has been suspended.
“To find out something happened like that,” her father said, crying.
Family members don’t want this to tarnish April’s memory.
“Our baby is up there in heaven and she’s going to bring some justice to this,” her mother said.
Wright’s sister questioned his mental state in an interview Thursday. Officials said security companies are not required to run mental health checks before they hire someone.
Wright said he did not want to talk Friday night when he was released from 201 Poplar.
