Debbie Schum waited a long time to receive the cremated ashes of her friend, LoraLee Johnson, from Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors in Montrose, Colorado. When she did, she felt relieved to finally take them home with her. But then, she got a call from the FBI. It turned out that the owner of the funeral home, Megan Hess, and her parents Shirley and Alan Koch had been operating a body brokering business — without permission from anyone. We speak with Debbie Schum, Elena Saavedra Buckley, Melissa Connor, and Danielle McCarthy. To learn more, check out Saavedra Buckley’s article in High Country News, “None of this happened the way you think it did.” (https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.10/communities-none-of-this-happened-the-way-you-think-it-did-cremated-remains) Criminal is a show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe Judge. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Join Criminal Plus on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, listener chat rooms, behind-the-scenes content, and more membership perks. https://www.patreon.com/Criminal Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://pod.link/809264944 Say hello on Twitter (https://twitter.com/criminalshow) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/criminal_podcast) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thisiscriminal) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@criminal_podcast) Sign up for our occasional newsletter, which includes a note from Phoebe, behind-the-scenes photos, and things our team has been enjoying lately. https://thisiscriminal.com/newsletter We also make the podcasts This is Love (https://pod.link/1337100398) and Phoebe Reads a Mystery (https://pod.link/1503921457). Artwork by Julienne Alexander: http://www.yssrs.com/. Check out our online shop: https://shop.thisiscriminal.com/ Episode 131 originally published January 10, 2020. https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-131-sunset-mesa-1-10-2020 Music in this episode: “The Consulate” by Blue Dot Sessions “San Diego Sunday” by Blue Dot Sessions “Li Fonte” by Blue Dot Sessions “Remsen” by Blue Dot Sessions “Slow Line Stomp” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Mandrake (original music for Criminal)” by Blue Dot Sessions “Paper Trail (original music for Criminal)” by Blue Dot Sessions “Our Only Uplift” by Blue Dot Sessions