Megan Hess, a former owner of the Colorado funeral home, Sunset Mesa, has pleaded guilty to secretly dissecting corpses and selling body parts without consent from relatives of the deceased.

Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, launched a non-profit donor service organization in 2009. They forged dozens of body donor consent forms and sold the body parts for profit. They have both been convicted and sentenced for their crimes. 

In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and special guest co-host  Dave Mack discuss the purpose of funeral homes, how one decides what is done with a loved one's remains, the legal procedures for deciding what is done with bodily remains, using bodies for medical purposes, and much more.

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - Background 

2:40 - What is the purpose of a funeral home? 

5:05 - Gross Anatomy

5:50 - Deciding what is done with a body after death

8:10 - Donor Services and Megan Hess

13:35 - Can you tell if someone’s ashes aren’t real?

16:00 - Legal procedures for remains 

18:10 - Non-transplant anatomical donation

19:30 - Jeff Peacock and finding out his parents were victims of Hess

23:40 - Body parts sold having certain diseases

25:30 - Using bodies for medical purposes

27:50 - Sentencing for Megan Hess and her mother Shirley Koch

28:30 - Wrap-up

Megan Hess, a former owner of the Colorado funeral home, Sunset Mesa, has pleaded guilty to secretly dissecting corpses and selling body parts without consent from relatives of the deceased.
Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, launched a non-profit donor service organization in 2009. They forged dozens of body donor consent forms and sold the body parts for profit. They have both been convicted and sentenced for their crimes. 
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and special guest co-host  Dave Mack discuss the purpose of funeral homes, how one decides what is done with a loved one's remains, the legal procedures for deciding what is done with bodily remains, using bodies for medical purposes, and much more.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Background 
2:40 - What is the purpose of a funeral home? 
5:05 - Gross Anatomy
5:50 - Deciding what is done with a body after death
8:10 - Donor Services and Megan Hess
13:35 - Can you tell if someone’s ashes aren’t real?
16:00 - Legal procedures for remains 
18:10 - Non-transplant anatomical donation
19:30 - Jeff Peacock and finding out his parents were victims of Hess
23:40 - Body parts sold having certain diseases
25:30 - Using bodies for medical purposes
27:50 - Sentencing for Megan Hess and her mother Shirley Koch
28:30 - Wrap-up

Join Joseph Scott Morgan every week as he explores a world that not many have had a chance to visit, the realm of death. Jo Scott will lead listeners on a journey through the blood soaked death scenes of America and then into the autopsy room to fully understand the science behind each case. Jo Scott is one America’s leading experts on applied forensics and is regularly featured on ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’, ‘The Piketon Massacre’, Court TV and more.

Theme Music: Audio Network

Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

A Funeral Home of Horrors - Megan Hess and Shirley Koch

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f0c7948c-8005-4cf2-bca1-afbd015c890b/transcript

The autopsy of Noah Presgrove is released and for the first time in the history of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, Joe is going to issue you a warning for what you are about to hear. Noah Presgrove is at a birthday, end of summer, labor day party with friends all weekend. But something happened Sunday night to cause Noah to leave the party by himself. He is found the next morning at 5:53am, alone, dead, on the side of a rural highway. He is naked except for a pair of shoes, but one of the shoes isn't his, it belongs to a guy asleep at the house where the party took place. The "friends" he has known all of his life aren't talking. His brother sees teeth scattered near his brother's body and pieces of chain. Who or What killed Noah Presgrove? Will the autopsy help answer the question?





Transcript Highlights

00:00:08 Introduction: Growing up in rural area 

00:03:10 Talk about List of Injuries 

00:05:17 Discussion of group dynamics 

00:09:12 Discussion of what happens to clothing  

00:12:27 Talk about social media evidence 

00:16:11 Discussion of internal injuries 

00:20:26 Discussion of injuries cased by falling out of a truck  

00:24:14 Talk about skull fractures 

00:28:32 Discussion of brain fluid 

00:32:52 Discussion of broke teeth 

00:36:03 Talk about animals and body on road 

00:37:52 Discussion of cervical injuries 

00:40:00 Discussion of abrasions 

00:41:47 Talk about being hit by car 

00:43:59 Discussion of data 

00:44:17 Conclusion; After the autopsy we still don’t have answers 

The autopsy of Noah Presgrove is released and for the first time in the history of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, Joe is going to issue you a warning for what you are about to hear. Noah Presgrove is at a birthday, end of summer, labor day party with friends all weekend. But something happened Sunday night to cause Noah to leave the party by himself. He is found the next morning at 5:53am, alone, dead, on the side of a rural highway. He is naked except for a pair of shoes, but one of the shoes isn't his, it belongs to a guy asleep at the house where the party took place. The "friends" he has known all of his life aren't talking. His brother sees teeth scattered near his brother's body and pieces of chain. Who or What killed Noah Presgrove? Will the autopsy help answer the question?
 
 
Transcript Highlights
00:00:08 Introduction: Growing up in rural area 
00:03:10 Talk about List of Injuries 
00:05:17 Discussion of group dynamics 
00:09:12 Discussion of what happens to clothing  
00:12:27 Talk about social media evidence 
00:16:11 Discussion of internal injuries 
00:20:26 Discussion of injuries cased by falling out of a truck  
00:24:14 Talk about skull fractures 
00:28:32 Discussion of brain fluid 
00:32:52 Discussion of broke teeth 
00:36:03 Talk about animals and body on road 
00:37:52 Discussion of cervical injuries 
00:40:00 Discussion of abrasions 
00:41:47 Talk about being hit by car 
00:43:59 Discussion of data 
00:44:17 Conclusion; After the autopsy we still don’t have answers

SHOCKING AUTOPSY: Who or What Killed Noah Presgrove?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3f69ebbc-1a88-438c-a767-b177000ef9e4/transcript

Dr. Werner Spitz is a man who spent his lifetime looking straight into the soul of man and looking death in the eye. On this episode of Body Bags, Joseph Scott Morgan gives a heartfelt tribute to a mentor he never met, a teacher that never gave him a test but one whose approval was sought in every written word and study as a death investigator. Dr. Werner Spitz passed away at the age of 97 on April 14, 2024, and this show is a special tribute to a man that actually did write the book of his profession, "Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal Investigation of Death; Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation.













 Transcribe Highlights
00:33.95 Introduction to the life of Werner Spitz

05:59.93 Discussion of Spitz impact on forensic pathologists

09:53.32 Discussion of fleeing Nazi Germany

13:51.43 Talk about being the lone voice of truth that you see

17:35.73 Discussion of Mary Jo Kopechne

24:16.10 Discussion of Spitz being called into high profile situations

28:15.52 Talk about examination using photographs

31:38.41 Discussion of not being afraid to take on cases others wouldn't

36:52.60 Talk about paying for an opinion

37:01.94 Conclusion Those who fail to remember history, are doomed to repeat it

Dr. Werner Spitz is a man who spent his lifetime looking straight into the soul of man and looking death in the eye. On this episode of Body Bags, Joseph Scott Morgan gives a heartfelt tribute to a mentor he never met, a teacher that never gave him a test but one whose approval was sought in every written word and study as a death investigator. Dr. Werner Spitz passed away at the age of 97 on April 14, 2024, and this show is a special tribute to a man that actually did write the book of his profession, "Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal Investigation of Death; Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Transcribe Highlights 00:33.95 Introduction to the life of Werner Spitz
05:59.93 Discussion of Spitz impact on forensic pathologists
09:53.32 Discussion of fleeing Nazi Germany
13:51.43 Talk about being the lone voice of truth that you see
17:35.73 Discussion of Mary Jo Kopechne
24:16.10 Discussion of Spitz being called into high profile situations
28:15.52 Talk about examination using photographs
31:38.41 Discussion of not being afraid to take on cases others wouldn't
36:52.60 Talk about paying for an opinion
37:01.94 Conclusion Those who fail to remember history, are doomed to repeat it

Werner Spitz, The Original Medical Detective, a Body Bags Tribute

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/772b495e-e05a-42c8-9067-b1720028e6c5/transcript

The double homicide of Russell and Shirley Dermond rocked their gated community along Lake Oconee in Georgia.. The decapitated body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was found in the garage and his wife of 68 years,  87-year Shirley Dermond was found in Lake Oconee weighted down with cinder blocks, 10 days after Russell's body was found.  On this episode of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, you will learn about the evidence investigators found at the crime scene as well as what can be learned from a body that may have been in a lake for 10 days. The double homicide has gone unsolved for 10 years and the head of Russell Dermond has never been found.  How was this elderly couple, married 68 years, murdered and why?







Transcript Highlights 

00:00:08 Introduction about murders 

00:05:00 Discussion about neighbor checking on Dermond’s 

00:09:34 Talk about unsolved murders, 10 years 

00:14:04 Discussion about Shirley Dermond body found in lake 

00:19:05 Discussion of Russell Dermond head, it’s missing 

00:23:51 Discussion about Shirley was weighted down 

00:28:08 Talk after 10 years, case still unsolved 

00:31:39 Discussion of lack of blood at scene 

00:34:52 Talk about how head was removed 

00:37:57 Talk about DNA evidence 

00:40:28 Conclusion: After a decade, new evidence might solve the case 

The double homicide of Russell and Shirley Dermond rocked their gated community along Lake Oconee in Georgia.. The decapitated body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was found in the garage and his wife of 68 years,  87-year Shirley Dermond was found in Lake Oconee weighted down with cinder blocks, 10 days after Russell's body was found.  On this episode of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, you will learn about the evidence investigators found at the crime scene as well as what can be learned from a body that may have been in a lake for 10 days. The double homicide has gone unsolved for 10 years and the head of Russell Dermond has never been found.  How was this elderly couple, married 68 years, murdered and why?
 
 
 
Transcript Highlights 
00:00:08 Introduction about murders 
00:05:00 Discussion about neighbor checking on Dermond’s 
00:09:34 Talk about unsolved murders, 10 years 
00:14:04 Discussion about Shirley Dermond body found in lake 
00:19:05 Discussion of Russell Dermond head, it’s missing 
00:23:51 Discussion about Shirley was weighted down 
00:28:08 Talk after 10 years, case still unsolved 
00:31:39 Discussion of lack of blood at scene 
00:34:52 Talk about how head was removed 
00:37:57 Talk about DNA evidence 
00:40:28 Conclusion: After a decade, new evidence might solve the case

Unsolved Double Homicide: Married 68 Years, Who Killed Russell and Shirley

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d329fe24-a1ad-44eb-83b6-b171000d4bf7/transcript

A Funeral Home of Horrors - Megan Hess and Shirley Koch

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