Separate from the FBI inquiry, Reuters has learned that Colorado state funeral regulators are investigating Hess's funeral home, Sunset Mesa. It is illegal to buy or sell organs such as hearts, kidneys and tendons for transplant. According to High Country News, Hess was running the funeral home in conjunction with a non-profit called Donor Services Inc., through which she sold "donated" body parts to companies a practice referred to as body brokering. In February 2018, Lina Cavanagh lost her baby at an advanced stage of pregnancy a loss that took its toll on her, both physically and emotionally. They are struggling with claims she created a product with a power saw and angry that she ultimately profited from the sale of arms, heads legs, torsos even whole bodies. A state investigation by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance now focuses on a Memphis funeral home that's also the focus of a Netflix reality show. Her funeral home site listed her credentials, including a PhD in mortuary science. Its really an underground industry that most people dont know about, said attorney Michael Burg. Koch's central role was chopping up the bodies, court records show. In Colorado and most other states, it's legal for funeral homes to sell items taken from corpses, including the gold found in teeth. The Daily Sentinel Megan Hess Finally, after a month, she got Staci Kent on the phone and laid into her, asking why she hadnt heard anything about her sons cremains. Before he died in 2016, the 78-year-old retired contractor saved $200 on cremation by agreeing to pledge parts of his body to Donor Services. She has been told parts of her husbands body were sold on the world-wide market. Twenty-six victims described their horror at discovering what had happened to their loved ones. Hess made donating a body online easy. . A funeral home in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island is under RCMP investigation for allegations of financial irregularities. Contact7 Chief Investigative Reporter Tony Kovaleski traveled to Montrose and talked to more than a half dozen family members now victims about what they describe as a scheme to profit from their pain. ThinkStock via Getty Images. Seeing how this chapter is opening up again is incredible, its unbelievable. After receiving the cremains, E.W. Two Colorado funeral homes are under criminal investigation after authorities found a unrefrigerated body and learned that at least one family had received a stillborns cremains mixed with portions of adult remains as well as metal fragments. In addition, a lawsuit has been filed by Shirley Hollenback and her daughter alleging that the remains she received purported to be the cremation ashes of her husband are somebody elses remains and not those of her husband. Sunset Mesas operators, Megan Hess and Shirley Koch, were indicted by a federal grand jury in March for allegedly shipping body parts all over the world against the will of family members, who found out years later that the ashes in their homes were not those of their loved ones. GRAND JUNCTION A Colorado funeral home operator accused of illegally selling body parts and giving clients fake ashes has pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court. He covers everything from stolen art and towing to mobile homes and quirky stories that defy category. According to Reuters Sunset Mesa Funeral Home had seen their call volume increase from 59 in 2015 to 128 in 2017. When Schum hesitated, Hess said she would waive the cremation fee if Schum agreed to donate her friend's bladder to science. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. A human head and spine sold for $850, while a full pelvis all the way to the toes priced out at $2,850. Staci Kent, however, wouldnt let them see the baby, Reh said. No one returned her voicemails. Holloman now deals with the guilt of knowing details of what happened to her moms body. Kent kept giving excuses, Cavanagh said. In February 2018, Lina Cavanagh lost her baby at an advanced stage of pregnancy a loss that took its toll on her, both physically and emotionally. Escher said Koch, who embalmed and dismembered bodies, pulled teeth from some of the corpses to extract the gold in crowns or fillings. The Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors and Donor Services building in Montrose, Colorado, U.S., December 16, 2017. They are distinct from the organ and tissue transplant industry, which the U.S. government closely regulates. some timely learning opportunities for our readers, Dont forget Low-tech to build your brand. On Oct. 13, the state shut down both the Gypsum operation and . a contrarian view? A former Colorado funeral home owner has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on charges of fraud and selling body parts without permission. A price list uncovered during an ongoing lawsuit against an Arizona body broker provides insight into the value of body parts and the profits that can be produced. They both plan to file complaints with the Department of Regulatory Affairs. Extra charges are assessed if a body is embalmed or a funeral director is involved. Funeral home remains under federal investigation A woman is among more than five dozen family members currently suing the family that operated the now shut-down Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, after finding out her husband's body parts had been sold without her consent. Shannon and Staci Kent did not respond to interview requests from The Denver Post. Its a profit business. Funeral homes in Leadville and Gypsum are under criminal investigation after authorities this month found an unrefrigerated body, bags of unlabeled cremains, an abandoned stillborn infant and at least one instance in which a family received cremains for their stillborn child mixed with bits of adult body parts and metal fragments. Some former staff members of Sunset Mesa said they never heard Hess disclose to donors that the bodies would be sold for profit. Teselle said, Whats shocking to me is that theres not an outcry for there to be more legislation, theres not an outcry for the government to regulate and license these people.. Andrew Scheid has been the director at . "This is the most emotionally draining. When asked if it contained her husbands cremains, she said, I dont know.. I thought it was something that needs to be corrected," said state Senator Larry Crowder, one of the bills sponsors. Take a look at some of Colorado's most notorious crimes. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Since that time, according to the article, Reuters has not been able to find another business in the United States that operates a funeral home, crematory, and body broker business in the same location and operated by the same owner. But days went by and she couldnt reach anyone. His head and his arms from his elbows to his fingers, his legs from his knees to his toes, had been removed from his body and they had been sold.. Such a partnership may raise ethical concerns because it creates a financial incentive for the funeral home. Last August, police received a complaint that funds provided to. Kent also operates funeral homes in Silverthorne, Idaho Springs, Fairplay and Buena Vista. On July 2, Jeffersonville Police officials announced dozens of bodies were found decomposing inside a funeral home in the Southern Indiana city, just across the river from Louisville. The Lake County Sheriffs Office confirmed an active criminal investigation is underway. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. According to Reuters Sunset Mesa Funeral Home had seen their call volume increase from 59 in 2015 to 128 in 2017. On March 16, the director of the Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration sent Kent a letter of admonition after a state investigator found unembalmed, unrefrigerated bodily remains in his Gypsum funeral home more than 24 hours from the date of death. It is illegal in the United States to sell organs such as hearts, kidneys and tendons for transplant; they must be donated. Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors of Montrose handled the funeral . That means almost anyone, regardless of expertise, can dissect and sell human remains. Her 69-year-old mother, Shirley Koch, also pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 15 years. Koch told the judge she was sorry and took responsibility for her actions. [the FBI told me] his head was sent to so and so. The recent parade of early deaths has hit close to home. A Medical Examiner can often discover hidden evidence of injury to explain a sudden death, or can document natural diseases to show that no foul play was involved in the death. After losing his ability to conduct cremation or funeral home services in December, Kent's Silverthorne funeral parlor sat empty until this month when the new tenant, Colorado Funeral Homes . (McGovern said no industry regulated by the Division of Professions and Occupations has regulators assigned exclusively to it.) Think about it, the FBI came in and raided them, and they raided them because they knew this body broker this was getting bigger and bigger and bigger, said Berg. Along with it would be a note reading: Heres looking at you. The rest of his ashes would be buried with Dunlaps mother in Denver. (REUTERS). At the nursing home, Eberspacher said she reminded Koch that the glass eye was supposed to be returned and suggested it be popped out there. The details of the plea agreement are unknown, but a trial for Hess' mother is still on track to proceed. Investigation into the allegations are ongoing with the Texas Funeral Services . Propel Funeral Partners makes acquisitions. Nursing Home Under Investigation After Woman Declared Dead Found Breathing at Funeral Home The incident happened at the Water's Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson, the. are acquisitions larger in general? She operated a funeral home, Sunset Mesa, and a body parts entity, Donor Services, from the same building in Montrose, Colorado. She mentioned on several occasions about how much money she would be getting per month, which blew my mind, said Jennifer Henderson, a former floral designer for Sunset Mesa. Colorado Ordway Funeral Homes Eaton Family Funeral Home Eaton Family Funeral Home in Ordway 202 E 3rd St Ordway, CO 81063 (719) 267-4221 Click to show location on map Zoom About Eaton Family Funeral Home We understand that losing a loved one can be a very stressful time. Could, Lake County coroner turns in resignation letter, State suspends operations of Leadville, Gypsum funeral homes, 3 BULLETS TO THE BACK: The striking silence around a police, Last Season Hunters Harvested the Most Bucks in 21 Years | Outdoor Life, Republicans are barring medical boards from punishing doctors who prescribe ivermectin: report | Salon.com, Mead High School student gets musical Make-A-Wish surprise, Bruce Cassidy Defends Tuukka Rask After Tough Showing Vs. Authorities also uncovered multiple refrigerated bodies which were wrapped in sheets or blankets but did not have any tags or paperwork identifying them. Prosecutors said she lied to more than 200 families, who received cremated ashes from bins mixed with the remains of different cadavers. The most expensive prices were for an upper torso that included a head and arms ($4,000) and the cost of an entire body was $5,000, according to the price list. There are people and businesses who spend millions and millions of dollars," Teselle added, "trafficking in these body parts as if they were nothing more than cans of soup or loaves of bread., I was pretty shocked, said Jacque Hampson, a former employee of the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose. Weeks passed before Hess told him that Donor Services couldnt retrieve the glass eye because the company couldnt locate the researcher who received Dunlaps head, Mabry said. As you likely know by now, Diamond of the famous 'Diamond and Silk' sister duo, has passed away at the young age of only 51. "It's concerning to the court that defendant Hess refuses to assume any responsibility for her conduct.". Hess continues running a dual operation. Reuters has reported in a report that you can read here that the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home of Montrose, Colorado, and its associated business, Donor Services, remains under investigation by the FBI. The Lake County Sheriffs Office confirmed an active criminal investigation is underway. On dozens of occasions, Hess and Koch transferred bodies or body parts to third parties for research without families knowledge, according to the U.S. Justice Department. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But two said Hess sometimes bragged about how lucrative it was to sell bodies and body parts. With a population of about 20,000, Montrose is a community surrounded by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Did you ever consent to have this family mutilate your husbands body? asked Denver7. E.W. Subscribe to Funeral Director Daily I didnt believe in depression until I lost my baby, Cavanagh said. Sunset Mesas operators, Megan Hess and Shirley Koch, were indicted by a federal grand jury in March for allegedly shipping body parts all over the world against the will of family members, who found out years later that the ashes in their homes were not those of their loved ones. She showed Denver7 the container that she was given. A change of plea hearing for Koch is scheduled for July 12. Fells called running such a multifaceted operation a new frontier., Through the attorney, Hess declined to comment for this story and didnt address questions about the FBI probe, her business practices, and the allegations by former employees. Instead, the media was interested in the dark history behind the town's funeral home, Sunset Mesa. Lake County coroner Shannon Kent owns both the Bailey-Kent Funeral Home in Leadville about 100 miles southeast of Denver and the Kent Funeral Home Gypsum about 133 miles west of the Mile High City, The Denver Post reported Friday. Megan Hess, 46, operated the Sunset Mesa funeral home in Montrose, Colorado, alongside a body-parts entity called Donor Services, where she undertook the grisly scheme, starting in 2010. The investigation of Kents funeral homes began in February after the sheriffs office received a complaint by a client regarding the handling of human remains. found out the cremains contained ashes from an infant, but also long bone fragments of an older/larger adult individual and metal, according to the suspension order. The NBC10 Investigators found bodies inside an unlicensed funeral home in Chester, Pennsylvania. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO: On allegations of fraud and illegally selling body parts, a former owner of a funeral home in Colorado was given a 20-year term in federal prison. Kent is already facing charges of perjury and official misconduct for sending wife Staci Kent, who is not authorized to act as a deputy coroner, to death scenes on at least three occasions, according to a September 2019 grand jury indictment. Hess, along with her mother and father, are all named in a lawsuit, which accuses them of using a backroom to dismember cadavers with a power saw and stack body parts in coolers. Two months later, after hearing nothing from Hess, Schum went to Sunset Mesa to retrieve her friend's ashes. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Jeffersonville funeral home is under investigation after the owner allegedly got behind on processing bodies, which began stacking up for an unknown period of. Thats when E.W. Peck was given another six months of probation. Legal Statement. I'll never be OK.". The brochure, provided to Reuters by Hess during the 2016 interview, continued this way: Every year, organ, eye and tissue transplants provide hope to tens of thousands of people suffering from disease, injury, trauma or blindness. Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. The Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center is under investigation by Jeffersonville Police Detective Division after 31 deceased individuals and the post-cremated remains of 16 individuals. E.W. The article also tells about how Sunset Mesa Funeral Home handled some services free of charge. It is a business and it is a profit business, added Burg. The Donor Services brochure was criticized as deceptive by two major U.S. organ donation groups after Reuters shared it with them. Buyers ranged from educators and scientists to individuals in the medical industry. The back of the brochure featured the logo Donate Life, the national brand that promotes organ donation and is managed by Donate Life America, a nonprofit group. The funeral home's owners, Megan Hess, 43, and her mother . Downard Funeral Home Under Investigation, ISU Involved There are many events that have unfolded over the past couple weeks involving Downard Funeral Home, some including Idaho State University (ISU). Megan Hess faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after entering the plea Tuesday in Grand Junction, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Members of the FBI, along with Montrose law enforcement investigate the Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors and Donor Services building Tuesday morning, February 6, 2018. In an interview in 2016, she described Donor Services as a small, family business. Her revised online biography cited her high school degree and a love of veterinary medicine.. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. felt they were too heavy to be those of a stillborn child, and submitted them for analysis. The charges defray the cost of picking up the deceased, she said in the 2016 interview. Unfortunately, the attention wasn't focused on the town's natural beauty or tourism opportunities. Hancock is one of many family members who has learned the cremains she was given by the owners of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose contained items and materials that were not her husband. More Reuters investigations and long-form narratives, Got a confidential news tip? She says Shirley Koch came to pick up his body. Kent has not yet been arrested for the most recent incidents, which at the Leadville funeral home included authorities' discovery of an abandoned stillborn, according to the Oct. 13 summary suspension issued by Colorados Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Torsos are a popular specimen these days, she wrote. Im not interested. One ex-employee, Kari Escher, said she was especially troubled by the practices of Hesss mother, Shirley Koch, who works at the facility. Megan Hess, the owner of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, and her parents are now under investigation by the FBI. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Be an organ donor, a slogan often used by organ transplant advocates. SENTINEL FILE PHOTO Sisters Layna and Janet Hutt hold photos of their father, Raymond Hutt, who died in 2016 at the age of 96. A grand jury indictment said that from 2010 through 2018, Hess and Koch offered to cremate bodies and provide the remains to families at a cost of $1,000 or more, but many of the cremations never occurred. Hancock is one of more than five dozen family members currently suing the family that operated the now shut-down Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose. Though Koch dissected bodies in the back room at Sunset Mesa, they claimed that the body had to be sent out for harvesting, Eberspacher said. That's part of my nightmare. Why their loved ones were stolen from them, and they were given back dry cement or sand and told it was loved ones ashes, said Teselle. A Colorado funeral home operator who was accused of selling and stealing body parts pleaded guilty to mail fraud on Tuesday, the US justice department . MONTROSE, Colo. A Colorado funeral home is accused of victimizing families after claims that it secretly sold body parts in the hours after death. The scope of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home and Donor Services remains unclear at this time while investigators are trying to get a handle on that issue. As a matter of fact, the FBI has set up a hot line and e-mail address for potential victims of the businesses to contact with information. PUBLISHED 8:21 PM CT Apr. These people deserve to know why what was done to them was done to them. On Oct. 2, the Lake and Eagle county sheriffs departments executed a search warrant at the Bailey-Kent Funeral Home in Leadville, where deputies encountered a strong odor of decomposition, according to an Oct. 13 summary suspension issued by the states Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration, before finding: In addition to the Leadville funeral home, the state issued suspension orders for the Kent Funeral Home Gypsum. I told them it didnt make sense, Mabry said. The allegations of offering free services and then selling body parts without the knowledge of the client family is beyond my scope of thinking as to what funeral directors should be doing. Two funeral homes owned by Lake County Coroner Shannon Kent are under investigation after law enforcement earlier this month found an unrefrigerated body, an abandoned stillborn infant, bags of unl He has served as Lake County coroner since 2012 and was reelected to a four-year term in November 2018. At the time of publication, no charges had been filed against the coroner, though Colorado has suspended the business licenses for both funeral homes. What You Need To Know. No one would pick up the phone. Updated: 8:07 PM MDT September 14, 2021. heres a recap of our months top stories, Carriage Services reports Services and Revenue drops in 2022. She told Contact7 Investigates that she heard bodies being dismembered. This all began when a severely decomposed body was reported by a state health inspector. Funeral Director Daily take: I have a hard time fathoming what may have went on at this funeral home. Learn more about Colorado true crime stories in the gallery below. The fact that now the business is also making money from the sale of body parts if that is not being told to the family, it is unethical and probably illegal, if only as deception, said Robert Fells, general counsel of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, an industry trade group. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Its for the good of the world, and I like to help people, Hess said. After receiving the cremains, E.W. Both Reh and Cavanagh said they want to get the ashes analyzed at the University of Colorado to see if they actually belong to their babies. Other charges against Hess will . She said that one month she got about $40,000 from selling donated bodies. Jacque Hampson spent a year working as Hesss personal assistant. She said, No, no, well take care of that first thing in the morning, recalled Eberspacher. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. However, on Thursday, Colorado police arrested Shannon and Staci Kent after finding a decaying corpse in a funeral home they previously operated. She did. Its tentacles go throughout not only the country but the world.. Golden Gate's owner denies all allegations. A pelvis with upper legs went for $1,200, heads for $500, a knee for $250, and a foot for $125, according to a 2013 Donor Services price list reviewed by Reuters. Former workers told Reuters that Hess and Koch conducted unauthorized dismemberments of bodies, and a few weeks after a 2018 story was published, the FBI raided the business. The suspension order details a 2019 instance in which an unnamed individual arranged with Kents funeral home for the cremation of their stillborn child. (Reuters) -A former Colorado funeral home owner was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday for defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling body parts.
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