CA Funeral Home Ran Mass Cremation Scam for Years

In the business of death, trust is everything. But in Pasadena, California, that trust was shattered by the Lamb-Sconce family — a name that once stood for comfort and Christian values. Behind the doors of their upscale funeral home, however, something far more disturbing was taking place. By the time authorities caught on, thousands of families had been unknowingly swept up in one of the most gruesome funeral scandals in U.S. history.

The Family That Promised Dignity

The Lamb Funeral Home, founded by Lawrence Lamb, had all the markings of a respectable institution — Old Pasadena charm, Christian values, and family pride.

But things changed in the 1980s when grandson David Sconce took over operations. Cremation was gaining popularity, and Sconce saw an opportunity. He offered cremation services at steeply discounted rates, not only for his own clients but for other local funeral homes.

What wasn't disclosed was how he managed to offer such low prices. Investigators later revealed that he was cremating multiple bodies at once — sometimes 150 to 200 in a single firing — to cut costs and increase volume.

Cracking Teeth, Cutting Corners

Employees described gruesome work conditions, including bodies stripped of valuables, limbs broken to fit more into cremation ovens, and ashes mixed and distributed at random. According to the HBO docuseries "The Mortician," former staff said they never knew whose remains they were returning to grieving families.

Sconce, by contrast, seemed unfazed. In one scene, he describes cracking gold teeth out of corpses and storing them in a cup labeled "Au," the periodic symbol for gold. His ex-wife confirmed to reporters that he openly sold the extracted gold for profit.

"I don't put any value in anybody after they're gone and dead ... That's not a person anymore," Sconce said during an interview featured in the documentary, according to the Daily Beast.

Warning Signs and a Desert Discovery

The scheme unraveled thanks to a World War II veteran living near Sconce's desert cremation site. The man reported a foul smell — one he recognized from his time at Auschwitz — and called 911. That tip led authorities to a ceramics kiln where Sconce's team had been incinerating bodies en masse.

Pasadena-area morticians had already grown suspicious. Sconce's operation completed far more cremations than competitors and did so for a fraction of the cost.

By 1986, his funeral home claimed 25,285 cremations—up from just 194 in 1982.

When the numbers didn't add up, law enforcement stepped in.

A Funeral Home Turned Crime Scene

The criminal investigation exposed even more chilling details. David Sconce didn't just disrespect the dead — he allegedly targeted the living.

He was accused of hiring men to assault rival funeral directors, including one, Timothy Waters, who died of a heart attack under suspicious circumstances. Sconce was charged with his murder, but the charge was ultimately dropped due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Another employee, Ron Jordan, reportedly died by suicide shortly after asking to leave the business. While no formal charges were filed in these cases, both deaths continue to raise questions about Sconce's influence and methods.

It also became clear that the scandal was no one-man operation. According to multiple interviews in "The Mortician," the entire Lamb-Sconce family allegedly knew what was happening. Former staff claims David's mother, Laurieann, even kept a drawer of unlabeled ashes with instructions on how to divide them into urns by weight: adult male, female, child, and infant.

Arrest, Prison — Then Parole

In 1989, David Sconce pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including mutilating corpses and performing illegal mass cremations. He was sentenced to five years in prison and served just half of that.

Despite a court-ordered lifetime probation, Sconce violated the terms and was re-incarcerated in 2013. He was again released in 2023 — this time walking free into a world that, thanks to HBO's "The Mortician," now knows every grisly detail of what happened.

A Legacy of Grief and Reform

The Lamb-Sconce case helped push reforms in the funeral industry. Today, California law requires surprise inspections of crematoriums, and the removal of gold or other items from corpses without permission is a felony.

But regulations came too late for the thousands of families who entrusted their loved ones to the Lamb Funeral Home.

References: The Crooked Funeral Home That Turned Dead Bodies Into Dollars | The Chilling True Story Behind HBO's 'The Mortician' | Convicted Mortician David Sconce Defends His Criminal Mass Cremations, 'Doesn't Put Any Value' in the Deceased | 'Incredibly Disturbing': Docuseries Goes Inside Jaw-Dropping LA Mortuary Scandal