Former Crematory Operator Gets 12 Years

[Scurrilous]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=718&e=6&u=/ap/20050131/ap_on_re_us/crematory_case

<snip>

"Former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh was sentenced to 12 years in prison Monday after relatives of some of the 334 people whose bodies he left to decay on his property confronted him on the stand about why he did it."

<snip>

"After nearly two dozen relatives spoke for more than six hours, Marsh stood up and apologized.
"I can't give you the answers that you want, but I can apologize," he said, before promising to write a letter of apology to all the families that would "tell more."

<snip>

"Instead of performing cremations, Marsh, former operator of the Tri-State Crematory in northwest Georgia, dumped the bodies behind his house and crammed them into burial vaults. He gave cement dust to the relatives instead of the ashes of their loved ones.

Agreeing with the terms of a plea deal, Judge James Bodiford sentenced Marsh to 12 years in prison followed by a lengthy probation and a $20,000 fine."

[JohnKleeb]

1. I remember when this story first broke

[NYC Liberal]

5. So do I..

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. There was one in Texas and one in Florida too

what is it with these guys?

At least one or two of them were FOB's (Friends of Bush).

[leesa]

11. Is this the one the Bush's were involved with or another? I thought it

was a different company caught doing illegal stuff.

Does Bush do ANYTHING above board and fully legal?

[NYC]

12. SCI.

One article:

http://www.budgetcasket.com/salon/timeline.htm

Google page:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=SCI&as_q=funeral&btnG=Search%C2%A0within%C2%A0results

[kevinam]

3. seems lenient...

334 wonder if their loved ones are really an urn full of cement?? He just tossed the bodies out in the backyard. This is a terrible example of greed and laziness. Money was more important to him than respect for the dead he was responsible for. A $20,000.00 fine?? Apparently, crime does pay. He accepted payment from 334 people for a service he did not perform. I would guess cremation costs $1,000.00. That means he would have made $334,000.00. So $20k off that and he still makes over $300k. With our overcrowded prisons, and his crime being non-violent. He will probably walk in half that. I feel bad for the victims of these crimes. How horrible.

Kevin.

[vpigrad]

4. Is burning a body really that hard?

You so often read about crematoriums not cremating bodies. Why not just do it? It's not like half a dozen propane burners and a 20# tank of propane is that expensive. For what they charge, I'll gladly toss bodies onto the grill all day long. It's ridiculous how lazy some people can be.

[GarySeven]

6. It actually is exceptionally difficult to cremate a body fully

I won't go into elaborate detail because it is, frankly, a little disgusting - but let's just say that it takes a LOT of heat to do the job in any amount of time that would enable you to do an cost-efficient number of bodies a day. However, if you are a crematory operator you undertake a VERY sacred trust, so if you aren't prepared financially or logistically to do the job then you absolutely should not try.

[ckramer]

7. This guy deserves every year of it. Greed has done him in

[hector459]

8. I'm the out-lier here. 12 years for not burning dead bodies seem stiff (n

pun intended) to me. I mean, a dead body is a dead body. I think this guy deserves some time and a huge fine, but 12 years? Come on people, how much do you know about what happens to the dead relative you bury? Some things in this world just seem topsy-turvy to me. We can't even impeach a President for lying and invading a sovereign nation and being responsible for 1500 dead US soldiers, thousands of dead Iraqis, and thousands maimed military and civilians. I just can't believe what I have seen and heard about this case.

Next we'll be sending undertakers to jail for dropping bodies in the morgue.

[dsc]

9. this is a major fraud

bodies aside he got a tidy sum of money per body.

[candy331]

10. Hell, He gets more time than Tyco's CEO who stole millions,

Enron execs who stole billions, Worldcom exec who stole millions, "and the beat goes on" for the list of multi million and billion dollar criminals.. At about $1,500 average price for cremation hell he would have to cremate all of Atlanta to equal the CEO's hunk of change. I wonder why the average person yells gleefully when the average person is caught in wrongdoing and hollows for the strictest punishment but resigns themselves that the rich and powerful will get a slap on the wrist. I always say average folk are average folk's own worst enemy. I wonder how many years Ken Lay will get?

[keopeli]

13. I agree Hector - Our penal system is whacked

Our penal system is so whacked!

The punishment should fit the crime.

He should have been fined in the neighborhood of $500,000 as a retribution payment to the families. He should have had to serve a couple of years at most in jail and then many years in community service hours.

Instead he spends 12 years in jail and is fined $20,000? Backwards, folks. It disgusts me what he did. I imagine if it was my mom's body I'd be outraged. But, I think I would be happy with a penalty like the one I mentioned - especially with years of community service and financial restitution.

Too often we let our emotional response to crime come out as a mandate for an eternity in prison. Bizarre! We just end up having to pay to keep them holed up. Let them work off their punishment - especially non-violent crimes.

[hector459]

14. No, the American people are whacked!

Look at the human cry right on this board.

[hector459]

15. By the way, what was that funeragate in TX with Tom DeLay all about?

Just asking. :shrug:

[Richard Steele]

16. I worry about MORE than just the FRAUD

Did any of you see the photos of this guy's property?

The place was littered with HUNDREDS of corpses; the guy was just tossing them EVERYWHERE!
It was like a scene from some cheap horror movie; it was reminiscent of the house in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

You would have to be a _VERY_ special variety of 'disturbed' to live like that.

I say SCREW the fines: this sick SOB should never be allowed to walk the streets again.