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Closure?
The complicated Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors case hit a milestone last week, Jan. 3, when former operator Megan Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, were sent to prison for mail fraud.
I'm not here to rehash the grim details of harvested bodies, sold without permission in many cases. I know it has been a long case, and many are exhausted. I do, however, use the word "milestone" instead of "conclusion" for a reason. There are, at last count, at least two civil cases not completed. And there's a restitution hearing on March 3.
Fundamentally, though, there is no conclusion. Not for those whose deceased friends and loved ones were sold — and for many, that's because there cannot be.
These folks, who trusted their loved ones would be returned for dignified goodbyes, may never know what became of the deceased. Some have no idea whose cremains they actually received. Nightmares haunt others. Grief is compounded. "If we can't get closure, please give us justice," victim Jeremy Decot told U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello.
The judge herself seemed to admit that there was no real framework for a case such as the Sunset Mesa saga. As Decot had noted, Arguello could not provide anyone with closure, so she did the next best thing, handing Hess the max sentence allowed under her plea agreement, and a hefty one to Koch as well.
What struck me the most was Julee Glynn, speaking out over what was done to her brother's body. It was the sad truth: "No one wins."
What's in a word?
Well, when it comes to personalized license plates, it turns out there are some that just won't fly. The state Division of Motor Vehicles just released a list of rejected personalized plate applications. Let's just say, some are NSFW (not safe for work).
It is easy to see how some failed to clear the bar, which prohibits plates that are lewd, crude or rude. "HAULNSS" was among the least offensive of these.
But other rejects might have you scratching your head. "EGADS," also rejected, is so tame that most people probably don't realize it is a euphemism for an oath Christians consider blasphemous. Was William Shakespeare trying to get a vanity plate, or something?
I'm kind of loving what DMV Senior Director Electra Bustle said: "We love the creativity and personal pride Coloradans take in picking their personalized plate."
"Creativity" — now, there's a euphemism.
— Katharhynn from the newsroom, suggesting you check out the list for a much-needed Monday chuckle.
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