Movies

‘The Mortician’ revisits Pasadena’s Lamb Funeral Home and a family’s ghoulish crimes

BBG News

In the early ’80s, people living in a Pasadena community started noticing unusual activities at the local crematorium. All of a sudden, it seemed to be running non-stop, with plumes of smoke coming out from its chimney long past regular operating times.

Concerns arose among fellow funeral directors when they noticed an increase in cremations at the Lamb Funeral Home, a well-regarded, long-standing family business in Southern California’s mortuary industry. It didn’t take long for accusations of organ harvesting, large-scale burning of bodies, and murder to hit the headlines, both locally and nationally. This marked the beginning of a gripping crime drama set in Los Angeles.

Starting this Sunday and airing every week, HBO’s three-part documentary series titled “The Mortician” delves into the chilling crimes of David Sconce, a grandson of the mortuary’s founder and son of current owners Jerry W. Sconce and Laurieanne Lamb Sconce. He was once the epitome of Southern California wealth and prestige: a young man with golden hair, blue eyes, and dreams of becoming a professional football player, until those ambitions were cut short by an injured ligament.

In a surprising twist of fate, Sconce discovered his vocation managing the family’s crematorium. By skillfully optimizing the process, he was able to incinerate numerous bodies within the same chamber, thereby boosting profits. The unfortunate survivors, unaware that their loved ones were not alone in the chamber, would often scatter the ashes at sea, oblivious to the fact that they were scattering the remains of multiple individuals.

…and that’s only a glimpse into the dark themes found in this docuseries directed by Joshua Rofé, who also produced “Lorena”.

Sconce additionally gained wealth by procuring various organs and body parts, extracted gold from dental fillings, and faced investigations regarding a supposed hit-job on a fellow professional and the alleged poisoning of a rival who aimed to uncover the illegal activities taking place at the Lamb funeral home.

After admitting guilt to 21 criminal charges, such as disfiguring bodies, conducting mass cremations, and hiring assassins, Sconce was imprisoned for five years in 1989. However, he only served two and a half years before being released in 1991. In 2013, he received another sentence of 25 years to life due to violating probation, but he was granted parole in 2023.

In “The Mortician” documentary, new perspectives emerge on a long-standing case through interviews with key witnesses. However, it’s Sconce himself who offers the most enlightening insights into his criminal activities. At times, he denies his wrongdoings only to boast about them subsequently. Remarkably, he seems to take pride in his ability to cram multiple bodies into a crematorium chamber, sometimes by breaking bones or severing limbs. Now 68 years old, Sconce discusses extensively the incidents that led to his imprisonment, expressing more anger than regret.

I strongly believe that appreciating someone’s worth should only happen while they’re still alive. It’s how I’d prefer to be remembered too, by being loved during my time here. As for handling remains, it boils down to practicality: cremating one person takes two hours, but ten can be done in the same amount of time with minimal additional effort. In essence, there’s no significant difference from a business standpoint.

Additionally, we spoke with former employees of a funeral home, Ashley Dunn (a previous L.A. Times journalist) and David Geary (former Pasadena Star-News reporter). Victims who were deceived by Sconce also share their experiences. Former law enforcement officers who uncovered Sconce’s second crematory facility in Hesperia, an old ceramics factory with kilns, describe the channels beneath the altered kiln doors that collected human fat drippings from overcrowded chambers.

The Mortician” isn’t the first show on cable to focus on a family running a funeral home in Pasadena; that honor goes to “Six Feet Under,” which delved into a dysfunctional embalming clan. However, while both shows share the theme of a family business in death, they differ greatly. Unlike “Six Feet Under,” there’s nothing comedic about the Lambs’ world. Instead, reminiscent of “The Jinx,” Sconce’s own words from this documentary series could potentially come back to haunt him at some point.

Read More

2025-06-01 13:31

Previous post Silk Road’s Ross Gets a Cryptic 300 BTC Gift—What’s the Mystery? 🤔
Next post Best Farming Locations In Elden Ring Nightreign