A Colorado woman has pleaded guilty to selling heads, arms and legs without the permission of the families
The former owner of Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors, Megan Hess, ran both a funeral home and a body parts service from the same building.
Records show that instead of cremating the bodies at the request of loved ones, Hess defrauded families by selling loved ones’ body parts for mostly educational purposes.
According to government court filings, Hess targeted families who were also coping with their relatives final days.
Prosecutors say Hess also charged families up to $1,000 for cremations, which never happened.
It’s understood she also offered free cremation in exchange for body part donations.
Many grieving families reportedly received ashes from bins mixed with the remains of different dead bodies. Authorities say one client received concrete mix instead of ashes.
“Meeting with hospice on the 4th … opening the floodgates of donors… They have four or five deaths a day. Get ready!!!! … How about a deal on full embalmed spines … $950?”
Megan Hess
Hess’ mother also allegedly pulled teeth from some corpses to take the gold from their crowns or fillings.
Hess has previously plead not guilty entered the plea to the charge of fraud at a hearing before U.S. magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher in Grand Junction.
Gallagher scheduled Hess to be sentenced in January with the prosecution calling for 12 to 15 years behind bars.
The woman’s mother, who also previously pleaded not guilty is scheduled to enter a change of plea hearing on 12 July.
