Dallas family sues Golden Gate Funeral Home after waiting over two years for remains. They speak out to warn others about the company with multiple complaints.
DALLAS — More than two years after Sherman Trotter’s death, his family is still searching for answers—and his remains.
Trotter, a U.S. Army veteran, passed away in December 2022. His son, Terasius Jefferson, said the family turned to Golden Gate Funeral Home and “A” Crematory in Dallas to make arrangements.
Initially, everything seemed to go as planned. The funeral was held in February 2023.
“After the cremation piece is when everything started to kind of fall to shambles,” Jefferson said.
“They never reached out to us,” Jefferson explained. “Every single time when we had contact with Golden Gate Funeral Home, it was us reaching out to them.”
According to a lawsuit filed by the family in June 2024, Jefferson’s requests for his father’s remains were ignored for more than 16 months. Trotter never received a military burial, and his family says they were left in the dark by the funeral home.
“We have no answers for my dad’s ashes,” he said.
After the family filed the lawsuit, over two years after Trotter’s death, Jefferson said Golden Gate Funeral Home notified them that the remains were ready for pickup. But Jefferson says he no longer trusts that they are, in fact, his father’s.
The lawsuit names Golden Gate Funeral Home, “A” Crematory, and their owners. It alleges negligence, violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and breach of contract.
“We are in the litigation process,” said Walter Musgrove, Jefferson’s attorney. “Unfortunately, I’ve heard this before.”
Musgrove, from South Dallas, said complaints against the funeral home are not isolated incidents. He referenced recent headlines involving a stillborn baby whose body was discovered in soiled linens at a Louisiana laundry facility. Authorities traced the infant back to Golden Gate Funeral Home’s Dallas location.
“The fact of the matter is, this is not the first, the second, the third,” Musgrove said. “Several claims have been filed.”
WFAA contacted Golden Gate Funeral Home and “A” Crematory multiple times. As of publication, no response has been received.
Musgrove is calling for accountability.
“How are they continuing to operate with all of these complaints?” he said. “There needs to be some accountability of the governing bodies that continue to allow them to operate.”
As Jefferson approaches the third anniversary of his father’s death, he realizes closure may never come.
“Nobody should have to go through this,” Jefferson said.