HBO’s new docuseries The Mortician is causing a stir with its unflinching look at one of the most disturbing scandals in American funeral home history. Premiering June, the three-part series dives into the shocking story of David Sconce, who transformed his family’s respected Pasadena mortuary into a site of gruesome criminal activity in the 1980s.
Sconce, taking over the Lamb Funeral Home, orchestrated mass cremations—sometimes burning up to 200 bodies at once—to maximize profits. He and his staff often broke bones to fit more bodies into the ovens, mixed remains, and even harvested gold from the deceased’s teeth. Families unknowingly received ashes that were not solely those of their loved ones, while Sconce pocketed extra cash by selling valuables stripped from the dead.
The scandal came to light after local funeral directors noticed Sconce’s unusually high cremation numbers and a neighbor reported the smell of burning flesh. Investigations revealed even more horrifying details: Sconce was convicted of mutilating corpses, mass cremations, and even hiring hitmen to target rivals. He ultimately pleaded guilty to 21 criminal counts and served time in prison, with his lack of remorse on full display in the series.
The Mortician features exclusive interviews with Sconce, now released from prison, as well as former employees, victims, and journalists. The documentary exposes not only the depths of Sconce’s crimes but also the vulnerabilities within the funeral industry that allowed such abuses to occur.
Viewers are left questioning how far some will go for profit—and what really happens behind the closed doors of America’s mortuaries.
