Funeral homes are the only place to say a final goodbye to our loved ones. If these funeral homes are commercialised, the focus might shift from compassionate care to profit, affecting the quality of support provided. Unfortunately, such consequences are not just hypothetical. For example, David Sconce, a California mortician, was convicted because the people’s final remains at his funeral home, Lamb Funeral Home, were mishandled.
Gruesome Incident
David acquired his family-owned business and converted it into a money-making business. In the early 80s, David’s name rose to fame because of his gruesome actions against the dead bodies at his funeral home. He was involved in illegal, unethical, and inhuman work, like stealing and selling corpses’ organs, providing fake ashes to the family and kin, removing gold and silver dental work from the corpses, and planning violent acts against competitors in the business.
Prison
Since most of the activities done by David were hidden, the public and other business people never knew until the scandal broke. As a result of his crimes, David Sconce spent two and a half years in prison in the late 1980s. Later, in the early 1990s, he was sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison.
Director’s Vision
Joshua Rofé has immersed himself in developing compelling stories for viewers. Joshua’s other notable films, including The Gray in Between and Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed, also demonstrate his commitment to uncovering hidden truths and presenting them with sensitivity and insight. Now, the inclusion of a story about a mortician has further expanded his recent work. To unveil the true story to the audience, the director Joshua Rofé has crafted this documentary series on David Sconce’s journey as a mortician.
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David also expresses his thoughts about the previous incidents, and mentions, “I don’t put any value on anybody after they’re gone and dead. As they shouldn’t when I’m gone and dead. Love ‘em when they’re here.” Apart from David himself, a few families deeply affected by his actions also speak up in the documentary, shedding light on David’s disturbing personality. One particularly striking moment occurs when the interviewer asks about David’s involvement in the murders: silence fills the screen, and the identity of the person speaking remains concealed.
After Mortician’s first episode on June 1, 2025, was released, it gained appreciation for attention to detail, craftsmanship and authenticity. This story resonated with the audience because many people would have experienced a similar misfortune at the funeral home, and this documentary provides insight, thus creating awareness among the viewers about the hidden realities behind the funeral industry. People can watch this documentary on Jio Hotstar.
Written By: Tejaswini Prasad