Blountville, Tennessee — A grieving widow says she made a horrifying discovery when her late husband’s clothing was returned to her by a local funeral home, leading her to file a $2.2 million lawsuit over what she alleges was a devastating mishandling of his remains.
Sheila McGilvrey says the clothing belonged to her husband, Richard Pretzeus, who died by suicide outside the couple’s home in September 2025. According to the lawsuit, McGilvrey received his clothing days later in a brown paper sack marked “clothing.”
What she allegedly found inside left her so shocked that she passed out.
Widow Says She Found Brain Matter in the Clothing
McGilvrey told that the clothing had been placed inside a white plastic trash bag within the brown sack.
She described opening the bag and reaching inside when her fingers came into contact with something she did not expect.
“It was a brown sack, and it just was stapled, had the word ‘clothing’ stamped on it,” McGilvrey told WJHL. “I open that brown sack and on the inside was a white plastic trash bag.
“The cinch-tie ones, you know, you have to kind of put your fingers in that little hole to pull it back open, and when I did that, my fingers kind of raked across something.”
McGilvrey said she looked down and believed she saw “chunks of brain matter on top of the pile of clothing.” The widow said she immediately passed out after seeing what was inside.
Her son eventually helped her leave the room and, according to the lawsuit, disposed of the bag in an outdoor fire pit.
Lawsuit Alleges Clothing Was Covered in Bodily Fluid
The lawsuit claims McGilvrey received the clothing four days after her husband’s death. In addition to what she described as brain matter, McGilvrey alleges that the clothing was covered in a “sticky bodily fluid.”
The discovery reportedly left her struggling to understand what had happened.
“It took a long time for me to process what happened because it’s just mind-blowing,” she said. “It’s so unbelievable, you can imagine. So, after that, I reached out to several different agencies.”
McGilvrey’s lawsuit names Weaver Funeral Home and seeks $2.2 million in damages. She and her son allege that the incident caused them severe emotional distress and suffering.
Medical Examiner’s Office Also Drawn Into Dispute
After making the discovery, McGilvrey said she contacted several agencies seeking an explanation. She also reached out to the National Association of Medical Examiners, or N.A.M.E., about what had happened.
According to McGilvrey, the organization indicated that the problem may have resulted from an oversight involving the medical examiner.
“N.A.M.E. told me that it must have been an oversight … on their medical examiner’s part,” McGilvrey said.
“So that’s basically the gist of the email that they sent back.”
The autopsy on Pretzeus was performed by William L. Jenkins Forensic Center, a contractor associated with East Tennessee State University.
The forensic center provides forensic autopsy services in Sullivan County under the authority of the county’s medical examiner.
Investigation Did Not Find Criminal Wrongdoing
The case also prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged mishandling.
Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into the incident but did not find criminal wrongdoing.
That finding does not resolve the civil lawsuit filed by McGilvrey and her son. Their legal claim seeks financial damages over the emotional distress they say resulted from receiving the clothing in the alleged condition.
The allegations in the lawsuit remain allegations, and the filing itself does not establish liability.
Widow Says the Experience Was Difficult to Process
For McGilvrey, the alleged discovery came while she was already dealing with the sudden and painful loss of her husband.
Instead of simply receiving his clothing as a personal reminder after his death, she says she encountered something that added another traumatic experience to her grief.
Her account has now become the center of a civil dispute involving the funeral home, the handling of the clothing and questions surrounding the medical examiner’s procedures.
The case could ultimately determine whether any party bears civil responsibility for what McGilvrey says happened.
For now, she and her son are seeking $2.2 million in damages, while authorities have said their investigation did not uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
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