Imagine a man who says, “I’ll love you forever.” And then he becomes a businessman who despises the bodies of the dead! That’s David Sconce — the focus of HBO’s new horror documentary The Mortician. The chilling tale premieres June 1.
David Sconce’s gruesome history:
In the ’80s, David ran his family’s “Lamb Funeral Home” in Pasadena, California. But he turned it into a center for gruesome crimes.
His main goal? To make a huge profit by burning as many bodies as possible at once in the crematorium.
How did he do it?
- Breaking bones to hold more bodies: The bodies were broken and crushed. The employees competed: “How many bodies can be burned in one furnace?” 😰
- Burning 150-200 bodies at once: He went to the California desert to hide this activity. But a neighbor reported it to the police. This neighbor was Auschwitz liberator! He realized: this burning flesh smelled like Auschwitz. 😨
- Stealing gold from the teeth of the dead: The employees took out the clothes and jewelry of the dead and sold them. David’s wife (Barbara) once saw him in the garage: Breaking the teeth with a hammer and extracting the gold! He was putting the gold in a cup marked “Au” (the chemical name for gold).
- Giving the wrong ashes to families: Since many bodies were burned together, the ashes would mix. Families would receive others’ remains along with the ashes of their relatives. A father’s son said: “They disrespected my father. It’s inhuman.” 💔
The scariest thing of all: David has no regrets!
His car’s license plate was “I BRN 4U” (I burn for you). In the documentary, he says:
“There’s nothing wrong with mixing ashes together. A dead person has no value. He’s no longer a person. Those who want to think about ashes should control their emotions.” ❄️
Why give such a man screen time?
Director Joshua Roffey says: “We wanted to show how deep greed can take a person.” It was important to show David’s terrible mentality.
During filming, David once asked Roffey: “If I gave you a lot of money, would you make me look bad?” At that moment, David’s eyes were filled with terrible emotion. 😨 But Rofe says: It’s a mistake to ignore such people.
Changes brought about by David’s crimes:
The cremation industry has since been tightened up:
- Sudden inspections: Crematoriums can be inspected at any time.
- Stealing gold from teeth is a serious offence: Now carries a life sentence.
- David was the only ‘bad guy’: Other crematorium professionals say the entire industry has been given a bad name because of David.
Some gruesome details:
- A mother was given her son’s ashes. But her son’s incompletely cremated body was later found! 👶
- David’s actions have shocked more than 20,000 families.
David’s prison sentence:
- Pleaded guilty in 1989 ➡️ 5 years (only 2.5 years in prison)
- 2013 for possession of firearms without a license ➡️ 25 to life in prison ⛓️
- He is free in 2023 🚪
Key question: Why watch this documentary? It shows how low a person can go for money. And reminds us: Everyone has the right to respect even after death!
Also Read: Barbara Hunt: What Happened to David Sconce’s Ex-Wife?
