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Family Funeral Home Illegally Sold Bodies

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In a twist on modern day grave robbery, a mother and daughter team have sold hundreds of bodies from their funeral home. Instead of receiving the cremated remains of loved ones, families have been given the cremains of strangers, and even foreign filler material.

The mother-daughter ran scam has been going on for nearly 10 years out of their funeral home in Montrose, Colorado.

The Sunset Mesa Funeral Home opened its doors in 2009 by mother and daughter Megan Hess and Shirley Koch. That year they began a non profit donor service out of the funeral home. However, families were not aware the bodies of their loved ones were being sold illegally from the funeral home.

Those who purchased these bodies included those in the medical field, educators, and scientists.

To make the situation even more grisly, entire bodies were not always what were in demand. Instead. limbs were the products the buyers were interested in, so Hess and Koch provided body parts that were requested from their buyers.

Heads, torsos, legs, arms, everything had a price tag to these women. They even extracted the gold teeth from the bodies and used the money to take their family to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

According to the indictment, the selling of bodies and body parts were so lucrative that the mother and daughter team were able to offer lower costs for their services than their competitors. The low prices for the customers and high prices for the bodies made for a highly lucrative rotating door for Sunset Mesa.

As dishonest and heinous this criminal enterprise proved to be, it was also a lucrative one. Authorities claimed these two women made hundreds of thousands of dollars conducting their macabre activities.

While the women are each faced with 135 years behind bars, many families don’t feel this is enough to rectify not knowing where the bodies of their loved ones are.

Nastassja Olson, a client of the funeral home, trusted the women with her mother after her death. Olson noted she was initially creeped out by Hess, and her suspicions grew when she and her family were not allowed to be alone with her mother’s body. The final nail in the coffin came when Olson went through her mother’s cremains and found things that had no place in being there.

“I found a bunch of stuff in the ashes that just seemed like it shouldn’t really be there. A bunch of weird metal pieces – almost looked like metal tacks and screws.”

Connie Hanson, a previous customer of the funeral home, found the same type of materials when reviewing the cremains of her son Fredrick “Rick” Hanson as revealed in the picture below.

When asked for her opinion on the verdict for the mother and daughter con artists, Olson replied;

I think it will bring me some closure knowing that she isn’t allowed to do this anymore and there’s some justice out there. She gets to suffer. She gets to suffer in prison for a long time.”

Unfortunately the black market has a high demand for bodies and body parts, and as long as the demand is there people will continue to find ways to provide for profit.

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Strange and Unusual

Man Arrested for Allegedly Taking a Severed Leg From Crash Site And Eating It

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A local California news station reported late last month that a man was being held in custody for allegedly taking the severed leg of a deceased train wreck victim and eating it. Be warned, this is a very disturbing and graphic story.

It happened on March 25 in Wasco, Calif. in a horrible Amtrak train accident a pedestrian was struck and killed and one of his legs was severed. 

According to KUTV a man named Resendo Tellez, 27, stole the body part from the impact site. 

A construction worker named Jose Ibarra who was an eyewitness to the theft revealed to officers one very grim detail. 

“I’m not sure from where, but he walked this way and he was waving a person’s leg. And he started chewing on it over there, he was biting it and he was hitting it against the wall and everything,” said Ibarra.

Caution, the following picture is graphic:

Resendo Tellez

Police found Tellez and he willingly went with them. He had outstanding warrants and now faces charges of stealing evidence from an active investigation.

Ibarra says Tellez walked past him with the detached limb. He describes what he saw in lurid detail, “On the leg, the skin was hanging. You could see the bone.”

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) police arrived on the scene to begin their own investigation.

According to a follow-up report by KGET News, Tellez was known throughout the neighborhood as homeless and non-threatening. A liquor store employee said she knew of him because he slept in a doorway near the business and was also a frequent customer.

Court records say that Tellez took the detached lower limb, “because he thought the leg was his.”

There are also reports that a video exists of the incident. It was circulating on social media, but we won’t provide it here.

The Kern County Sherriff’s office had no follow-up report as of this writing.


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News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

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Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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Trailers

HBO’s “The Jinx – Part Two” Unveils Unseen Footage and Insights Into Robert Durst Case [Trailer]

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the jinx

HBO, in collaboration with Max, has just released the trailer for “The Jinx – Part Two,” marking the return of the network’s exploration into the enigmatic and controversial figure, Robert Durst. This six-episode docuseries is set to premiere on Sunday, April 21, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, promising to unveil new information and hidden materials that have emerged in the eight years following Durst’s high-profile arrest.

The Jinx Part Two – Official Trailer

“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” the original series directed by Andrew Jarecki, captivated audiences in 2015 with its deep dive into the life of the real estate heir and the dark cloud of suspicion surrounding him in connection with several murders. The series concluded with a dramatic turn of events as Durst was apprehended for the murder of Susan Berman in Los Angeles, just hours before the final episode was broadcast.

The forthcoming series, “The Jinx – Part Two,” aims to delve deeper into the investigation and trial that unfolded in the years after Durst’s arrest. It will feature never-before-seen interviews with Durst’s associates, recorded phone calls, and interrogation footage, offering an unprecedented look into the case.

Charles Bagli, a journalist for the New York Times, shared in the trailer, “As ‘The Jinx’ aired, Bob and I spoke after every episode. He was very nervous, and I thought to myself, ‘He’s gonna run.’” This sentiment was mirrored by District Attorney John Lewin, who added, “Bob was gonna flee the country, never to return.” However, Durst did not flee, and his arrest marked a significant turning point in the case.

The series promises to showcase the depth of Durst’s expectation for loyalty from his friends while he was behind bars, despite facing serious charges. A snippet from a phone call where Durst advises, “But you don’t tell them s–t,” hints at the complex relationships and dynamics at play.

Andrew Jarecki, reflecting on the nature of Durst’s alleged crimes, stated, “You don’t kill three people over 30 years and get away with it in a vacuum.” This commentary suggests the series will explore not only the crimes themselves but the broader network of influence and complicity that may have enabled Durst’s actions.

Contributors to the series include a wide range of figures involved in the case, such as Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles Habib Balian, defense attorneys Dick DeGuerin and David Chesnoff, and journalists who have covered the story extensively. The inclusion of judges Susan Criss and Mark Windham, as well as jury members and friends and associates of both Durst and his victims, promises a comprehensive perspective on the proceedings.

Robert Durst himself has commented on the attention the case and the documentary have garnered, stating he is “getting his own 15 minutes [of fame], and it is gargantuan.”

“The Jinx – Part Two” is anticipated to offer an insightful continuation of Robert Durst’s story, revealing new facets of the investigation and trial that have not been seen before. It stands as a testament to the ongoing intrigue and complexity surrounding Durst’s life and the legal battles that followed his arrest.

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