Funeral Director Sentenced To 20 Years In Jail After Selling Body Parts Without Family Members’ Approval

A funeral director and her mother are sentenced To prison for illegally selling body parts and whole bodies of hundreds without the consent of their families

“The defendants’ conduct was horrific and morbid and driven by greed. They took advantage of numerous victims who were at their lowest point given the recent loss of a loved one. We hope these prison sentences will bring the victim’s family members some amount of peace as they move forward in the grieving process,” U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan said. “We sincerely hope this punishment deters like-minded fraudsters in the future.”

Megan Hess, who was responsible for Sunset Mesa Funeral Home, Montrose, Colorado was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years imprisonment. Hess had previously pleaded guilty in the past to aiding and abiding, as well mail fraud. Hess’ mother, Shirley Koch, is 69 years of age and was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty at an earlier point to aiding and abetting, and mail fraud.

On Tuesday, The Department of Justice released a statement stating that Hess and others were being investigated by the Department of Justice. “stole the bodies or body parts of hundreds of victims, and then sold those remains to victims purchasing the remains for body broker services” Fast a decade for the years 2010-2018

Hess would meet people who had lost loved ones. “[u]nder the auspices of Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors,” She and her fellow members would tell the families that the group would return the bodies to their family members and cremate them.

“Instead,” The DOJ stated, “the defendant and others would harvest body parts from, or prepare the entire bodies of, the decedents for sale in body broker services.”

The DOJ pointed out that many times, Koch and Hess didn’t talk about donating or selling body parts. They also didn’t get approval to do so. The families could also be asked to donate if Hess or Koch brought it up. “specifically rejected” it.

Without any approval “Koch and Hess recovered body parts from, or otherwise prepared entire bodies of hundreds of decedents for body broker services,” The department also added. Koch and Hess were able to donate to families that allowed it. “sold the remains of those decedents beyond what was authorized by the family,” This was usually only in small amounts.

Hess, Koch and others acted as though they were giving cremated remains back home to loved ones. “when, frequently, that was not the case.”

They also sent parts of bodies or bodies via the mail with infectious diseases, after informing purchasers that they did not have any. These shipments were in violation of Department of Transportation regulations.

There are no federal laws limiting The selling Human remains may not be sold unless they are Native American. Hess and Koch didn’t have permission to sell the bodies and other body parts.

Colorado adopted a 2018 law regarding body brokers companies to replace the one that was already in place. reported that the address for Hess’ funeral home was also used to run a body donation company.