The Mortician on HBO: A Disturbing Look At David Sconce and His Unsettling Funeral Home Malpractice

A new docuseries called The Mortician has just arrived on HBO. This show pulls back the curtain on David Sconce, a mortician from Pasadena, California, whose practices were truly stomach-churning. Sconce himself once said, "I don't put any value in anybody after they're dead and gone." That statement is chilling when you realize he ran the Lamb Funeral Home. The details of his actions would fit right into a horror film.

If you have recently lost a loved one, you might want to skip this show. Sconce is not a typical mortician, but his story does a lot to break the trust people expect from those who care for their dead. He mutilated bodies. He stole fillings from corpses. He sold organs. He even returned fake ashes to grieving families. On top of that, he intimidated rivals in the funeral business. He even plotted to kill some of them. It is a truly dark story that shows how far some people will go for money.

Sconce pushed the limits of making money. He held many cremations at the same time. His family business went from 195 cremations in 1981 to over 25,000 just five years later. That is a huge increase. This massive amount of business, along with neighbors complaining about the smell, led to a police investigation. That is how the brutal, illegal shortcuts came to light. It all led to his downfall and time in prison. Director Joshua Rofe was able to interview Sconce after his release on parole. This allowed him to bring this upsetting story to the screen.

When You Can Finally Watch The Mortician And What To Expect From Its Dark Subject Matter

How To Tune In To This Chilling True Crime Story From Your Home On HBO And Max

The Mortician premiered in the U.S. on Sunday, June 1, on HBO at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT. You can also stream it on Max at the same time. If you do not mind commercials, Max plans start at $9.99 a month. For an ad-free experience, it costs $16.99 a month. If you want to watch content on up to four devices and in 4K, it is $20.99 a month. You can also pay for a whole year upfront and basically get two months free on any plan. Max has a huge library of high-quality shows. These include Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and Succession. It also has newer shows like House of the Dragon and True Detective: Night Country.

If you are traveling outside the U.S. and The Mortician is not airing where you are, you do not have to miss it. You can use a VPN to watch the show from anywhere. A good VPN lets you connect to a server in your home country. This makes it look like you are still there. Then you can access your usual streaming service. This means you can keep up with all the true crime stories, no matter where you are.

For Canadian viewers, Crave subscriptions start at $9.99 a month for a basic plan with ads. It goes up to $22 a month for a premium plan with no ads and 4K video. If you are on vacation away from Canada, you will need a VPN to log in back home to use Crave. Unfortunately, there is no release date for The Mortician in the U.K. yet. When that changes, we will let you know here. For viewers in Australia, The Mortician also premiered on Max on Monday, June 2. New episodes will be available weekly every Friday.

Exploring The Twisted Mind Of David Sconce And The Shocking Details Of His Crimes

The Documentary's Approach To A Man Who Saw Bodies As Disposable And Showed No Remorse

The documentary focuses on David Sconce's very unsettling view of human bodies. He did not see them as people once they were dead. He thought they were just shells. For him, abusing them was no different than digging something out of the ground. They were dead so why would it matter? This perspective is truly disturbing. The show does a good job of laying out Sconce’s worldview early on. Then it slowly reveals how a man who does not respect the dead will also not have much respect for the living.

Sconce was sentenced to five years in prison in 1989 for mutilating corpses. He also faced charges for holding mass cremations at a very low price. He even hired strongmen to attack rival morticians. He only served two and a half years of that sentence. However, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in 2013. This happened after he broke his lifetime probation. A judge put him on probation in 1997 after he pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy. He broke that probation by having a stolen gun. He was finally released on parole in 2023. This long history shows a pattern of disturbing behavior.

One of the main points of discussion about the documentary is how much time it spends on Sconce himself. Some critics feel the project struggles to go deeper into its subject. It can feel like it repeats itself at times. This is a common problem in the many true crime shows coming out today. Sometimes these shows seem made to boost streaming numbers more than to truly understand a complicated story. The documentary often hints at a big moment where Sconce might finally show regret. But that moment never really comes. He clearly does not believe he did anything wrong. He burned away any chance of showing remorse a long time ago.

The Broader Impact Of The Mortician On The Funeral Industry And True Crime Genre

Reflecting On How This Story Challenges Our Expectations And What It Means For Viewers

This show is a stark reminder of the trust we place in funeral homes during difficult times. It forces us to confront how easily that trust can be broken. The details of Sconce's actions are hard to forget. They make you think about how little regulation might have been in place back then. It is a scary thought that someone could get away with such horrific acts for so long. The documentary does well in highlighting the importance of proper oversight in such sensitive businesses.

The Mortician joins a growing list of true crime projects. These projects often bring dark and uncomfortable stories to light. What makes this one stand out is the direct access to Sconce. His lack of regret is both fascinating and frustrating. It forces viewers to grapple with the idea that some people simply do not feel bad about their actions. This can be a challenging thing to watch. It is a reminder that not all criminals will offer the emotional closure that some documentaries try to provide.

Overall, The Mortician is a powerful, albeit disturbing, watch. It sheds light on a truly unsettling chapter in true crime history. It might make you squirm, but it certainly leaves a lasting impression. If you are a fan of true crime stories that dig into the darker sides of humanity, this one is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for some genuinely shocking details that will stick with you.