Summary
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David Sconce operated an illegal mass-cremation scheme through Coastal Cremations Inc. in 1980s Pasadena, exploiting families for profit.
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He pleaded guilty in 1989 to mutilating remains and other crimes; later violated probation and received 25 years to life.
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HBO’s The Mortician reveals the chilling details of the scandal through first-hand interviews and archival investigation.
The Mortician, HBO’s new true crime docuseries, dives into one of the funeral industry’s darkest scandals. The series chronicles the crimes committed by David Sconce, who exploited grieving families and desecrated the deceased through an illegal cremation operation in Pasadena during the 1980s. Directed by Joshua Rofé, The Mortician features interviews with witnesses, former employees, and even Sconce himself, laying bare a shocking abuse of trust in a field where integrity should be paramount.
How Did The Mortician Uncover The Lamb Funeral Home Scandal?
The story of The Mortician centers around David Sconce’s tenure at the Lamb Funeral Home and his expansion of the business into Coastal Cremations Inc. during the 1980s. The original funeral home had been a trusted family business since its founding in 1929. However, after an injury derailed Sconce’s potential football career, he entered the funeral trade and began building a business focused on profits at any cost.
By offering cremation services at half the price of standard funeral homes, Coastal Cremations quickly gained business across Southern California. Behind the low prices, however, lay horrifying practices. Former employees interviewed in The Mortician recount how Sconce would process multiple bodies at once in industrial kilns, sometimes burning as many as 15 bodies in a single cycle.
Additionally, David Sconce and his team regularly stole valuables from the bodies. Jewelry, gold teeth, and other personal effects were removed from the deceased and sold for profit. In many cases, the ashes returned to families contained the remains of multiple individuals— a grotesque violation of both law and ethics.
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What Crimes Did David Sconce Commit At Coastal Cremations?
The scope of David Sconce’s crimes, as detailed in The Mortician, is staggering. Driven by financial ambition, Sconce turned funeral care into an assembly-line process where respect for the dead was entirely disregarded.
At Coastal Cremations, bones were broken to fit more bodies into kilns, allowing for faster turnover and greater profit margins. Employees described an atmosphere where ethical considerations were ignored. The mixing of ashes was routine, and families often received remains that were not solely those of their loved ones.
Moreover, David Sconce stole personal effects from the deceased and sold them, further capitalizing on the vulnerability of grieving clients. This theft added another layer of violation to an already horrific scheme.
As the business grew, the volume of cremations increased, drawing suspicion from competitors. The low prices and fast service of Coastal Cremations were unsustainable without illegal practices, which eventually attracted the attention of law enforcement.
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How Was David Sconce Caught?
The Mortician details the chain of events that led to the exposure of David Sconce’s crimes. In 1987, a concerned former World War II soldier contacted authorities after noticing the strong odor of burning flesh coming from Coastal Cremations. This report triggered an investigation that would reveal the full extent of the wrongdoing.
Investigators found trash cans filled with ashes on the property, clear evidence of the mass-cremation practices being employed. The discovery of these remains, combined with mounting complaints and testimonies from insiders, led to the arrest of David Sconce and his parents.
The case was particularly shocking due to the public trust placed in funeral professionals. The revelations of The Mortician underscore how Sconce weaponized that trust for personal gain, exploiting families at their most vulnerable moments.
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What Was David Sconce’s Sentence?
In 1989, David Sconce was charged with 67 counts related to mutilating corpses, conducting mass cremations, and masterminding attacks on rival funeral homes. Initially denying the charges, Sconce ultimately pleaded guilty to 21 counts.
He was sentenced to five years in prison, although he served only about two and a half years before being released on probation in 1991. His parents, Laurieanne and Jerry Sconce, were acquitted in 1992 of charges related to the mass cremations and mutilation of corpses.
While David Sconce’s initial sentence was relatively light given the gravity of his crimes, his legal troubles did not end there. In 1990, during his incarceration, he was charged with conspiracy to commit the murder of a rival mortician. He later pleaded guilty in 1997, receiving lifetime probation.
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How Did David Sconce End Up With A 25 To Life Sentence?
David Sconce’s lifetime probation included strict conditions, with any further offenses triggering severe consequences. However, in 2012, Sconce violated his probation by possessing a stolen firearm.
This violation led to a 25-years-to-life sentence, a dramatic escalation from his earlier penalties. In The Mortician, this chapter of Sconce’s story is a stark reminder of the persistent danger he represented even after serving time for his initial crimes.
Released on parole in 2023 after serving a decade of this sentence, David Sconce was extradited to California for additional parole violations. As of 2025, he resides at an undisclosed location in California.
In The Mortician, David Sconce is interviewed extensively. He exhibits no remorse for his actions and continues to justify the practices that led to widespread outrage and suffering.
Throughout the series, Sconce explains that he did not assign value to bodies after death. He describes his ability to cremate multiple bodies simultaneously and dismisses concerns about mixed ashes, framing it as an acceptable business practice.
His attitude, as shown in The Mortician, reflects a chilling lack of empathy. Even years after his crimes were exposed, David Sconce remains unapologetic, viewing his actions through a lens of cold pragmatism.
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How Did Families React To The Scandal?
The betrayal felt by families is central to The Mortician. Clients of the Lamb Funeral Home and Coastal Cremations recount their horror upon learning that the remains of their loved ones had been desecrated.
One former client described how she had trusted Sconce to handle the cremation of her father, only to discover that the body had been violated and the ashes returned were mixed. This sense of betrayal runs through many of the interviews in the series.
The scandal not only caused emotional trauma but also sparked broader discussions about regulation and oversight in the funeral industry. Families who were victimized by David Sconce’s operation faced both personal grief and public outrage as the details of the case came to light.
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Where Is David Sconce Today?
As of 2025, David Sconce is living at an undisclosed location in California. He has not committed any further crimes since his release on parole in 2023.
His appearance in The Mortician marks his first public acknowledgment of the events, though he continues to show no remorse for his actions. The docuseries presents a portrait of a man who remains defiant and unapologetic, even in the face of widespread condemnation.
While Sconce has avoided further legal trouble since his release, his story remains a powerful example of the dangers that arise when trust is exploited for personal gain. The Mortician ensures that this dark chapter in the funeral industry is not forgotten.
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