Randall Bird’s coworkers say they walked in on him “sweating profusely” with his zipper “wide open”; he was arrested a month later, with the hospital saying they were “appalled” by his alleged behavior.
A security guard at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona is facing some disturbing charges after being arrested this week for crimes against the dead.
46-year-old Randall Bird’s allegedly “concerning behavior” involving the body of a 79-year-old woman who died of natural causes was first reported to the Phoenix Police Department last month — but he wasn’t arrested until this week, on November 28, following an investigation.
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According to court docs obtained by Fox 10, part of Bird’s job responsibilities as a security guard was to assist in the intake process at the hospital’s morgue. During the investigation, officers determined the process should only take about 10-15 minutes and, during that time, security guards are not permitted to open the body bags.
On October 22, Bird was allegedly left alone with a body. When two fellow security guards went to the morgue about an hour later, the door was locked from the inside — something they deemed out of the ordinary. After unlocking the main door, they then noticed the freezer was ajar.
“Witnesses observed [Bird] inside the freezer. He was sweating profusely and was acting very nervous,” read the court docs. “They stated that [Bird] had removed his duty belt, which they observed on top of a gurney where a bagged deceased body was placed. [Bird’s] zipper on his uniform pants was wide open, and the rest of his uniform looked all messy.”
“[Bird] started making statements about having a medical episode and fainting, and said he grabbed the victim’s body as he fell. He stated the body bag tore open, and the zipper broke. Witnesses stated neither the bag nor the zipper were broken,” the docs continued.
The victim’s body was facing down, said investigators, while the body bag was completely unzipped — both of which should “never” happen. A portion of the victim’s body was also exposed and her hospital gown was described as being “rolled up.” The witnesses reported the incident to their supervisor, before an internal investigation was launched and the police were called. Their investigation into the matter began October 24.
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While speaking with investigators, Bird allegedly reiterated his medical episode claim and said he couldn’t remember everything that happened. The docs, via ABC 15, noted DNA from Bird matched DNA found on external genital swabs taken from the victim; the outlet also said he was accused of having “sexual contact” with the victim.
He was arrested on Tuesday in Phoenix and booked on five counts of crimes against a dead person, a class 4 felony.
On Wednesday, Banner Health issued a statement in which they said they were “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,” the statement continued, before thanking the Phoenix Police Department for their work and adding that, “Out of respect for the family, we will not further comment at this time.”
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