Vile Vandalism & New NOR | 4M #123

Welcome to the hundred-and-twenty-third edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #123, where we’ll serve up bite-sized, easily-digestible nuggets of the deathcare news you need to crush conversations in the week ahead. Bon appetit!

NOR for Delaware … and Utah, too?

Natural organic reduction might be coming to a state near you, if you are Delaware- or Utah-adjacent. Legislators in both states have filed legislation to allow the process NOR/human composting/terramation. Utah Senator Jen Plumb filed Senate Bill 102 last week “after hearing about it from constituents;” if it approved, it would become law on May 1. Delaware’s version, sponsored by Rep. Sean Lynn, overwhelmingly passed the House with a 37-2 vote and is headed to the senate.

Enough is enough

Two senators are fed up with pro-Palestinian protestors who have defaced a cemetery where more than 80,000 veterans rest. Senators Kevin Cramer and Marco Rubio sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General requesting that the Department of Justice “immediately investigate” the “disgusting, anti-American” vandalism at Los Angeles National Cemetery. The spray-painted messages include the words “INTIFADA” and “FREE GAZA” in addition to a red, upside-down triangle. Fourteen other senators signed the letter, which called for the “Pro-Hamas radicals and terrorist sympathizers” to “immediately face consequences for their immoral and illegal tactics,” given their “clear violation of federal law.”

Challenging the challenges

In 2019, Todd and Mia Minor suffered the unimaginable, tragic loss of their 12-year-old son, Matthew. He died as a result of a “choking challenge” that was making the rounds on TikTok. Now, the Minors and other parents have joined forces with professionals and community members to support the Maryland Kids Code bill, which will hold tech companies accountable for content that results in the death of a child. You can read the Minors’ terrible, yet inspiring, story here. 

Fake funeral directors

Two people have been arrested in Houston stealing thousands of dollars from grieving families via forged life insurance documents as part of a fraudulent funeral business. In addition to the formal forgery and theft charges, families have accused the two of botched embalmings and “smashing” a body inside of a casket. According to reports, they were also operating without a funeral business license.

Finally, on a positive note …

Congratulations to Alexis and Martin McCurdy for opening the first Black-owned alkaline hydrolysis facility, Green Farewells, in Las Vegas! The McCurdys announced the new facility in a press release last week, saying, “Green Farewells is not just a business; it’s a mission. We are proud to be holistic cremation providers, prioritizing the well-being of both the environment and the communities we serve.”