https://www.obitley.com Investigative journalism covering the business, politics, and people of the American deathcare industry. en-us Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:38:03 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/rg-ortiz-wrong-body-cremation-lawsuit https://www.obitley.com/stories/rg-ortiz-wrong-body-cremation-lawsuit The family of Jose Daniel Diaz Felipe, 84, says they found a stranger in his coffin at a Washington Heights wake on May 28. Court papers say he had already been cremated on May 23. The operator, R.G. Ortiz, settled with NYC regulators in 2024 for more than $700,000 over 82 charged violations. Investigation Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/guardianship-fraud-pattern-kaufman-mundy https://www.obitley.com/stories/guardianship-fraud-pattern-kaufman-mundy Two 2026 criminal cases, one sentenced and one pending, took prepaid funeral money from guardianship programs. In Michigan, Terry Kaufman owes $1.1 million to 204 victims. In Tennessee, Mundy Funeral Home is accused of filing death claims on the living. Nobody was watching the money. Fraud Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/tennessee-suspends-mundy-funeral-home https://www.obitley.com/stories/tennessee-suspends-mundy-funeral-home Tennessee summarily suspended Mundy Funeral Home and director Chad Mundy on Aug. 11 after investigators found death claims filed on living policyholders, including one on Mundy's own wife. The claims topped $80,000. No civil or criminal case had been filed as of Aug. 26. Investigation Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/south-chicago-chapel-56-bodies https://www.obitley.com/stories/south-chicago-chapel-56-bodies IDFPR suspended Johanna Morgan's funeral director license on Aug. 5. The next day, 56 decomposing bodies were found at South Chicago Chapel, the funeral home she runs with Clark Morgan of Heights Crematory. A Tribune investigation found regulators visited the facility at least twice before the discovery. Investigation Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/selected-members-oppose-nfda-takeover https://www.obitley.com/stories/selected-members-oppose-nfda-takeover Two past presidents' families lead the first organized opposition to the NFDA-Selected deal. Members cannot read the letter of intent they are being asked to approve, and the two men say 85% of 70 firms they polled lean no. Consolidation Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/indiana-board-denies-greiner-branch-license https://www.obitley.com/stories/indiana-board-denies-greiner-branch-license Indiana board member Thomas Sproles asked the applicant what ties the new business would have to Gary Greiner. Owner Jeff Edmondson answered that there would be none, then acknowledged the lease: $3,500 monthly rent, plus half the monthly net profits to Greiner. The board voted 4-0 to deny. Investigation Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/greiner-funeral-home-37-charges https://www.obitley.com/stories/greiner-funeral-home-37-charges Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt announced 37 charges at a 2 p.m. news conference Thursday. Jail records cited by the Tribune-Star show Gary Greiner booked just before 12:45 p.m. and released about 2:40 p.m. after posting a $50,000 cash bond. Investigation Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/new-orleans-funeral-home-eviction-bodies https://www.obitley.com/stories/new-orleans-funeral-home-eviction-bodies A sheriff evicted New Orleans Funeral and Cremation Service in July 2026. Inside, the coroner found 16 bodies and 12 sets of cremated remains. The state had already revoked owner Gary Lewis's license. An automatic stay from his appeal let the business keep operating anyway. This is the story of the gap between revocation and enforcement, told through the families caught inside it. Investigation Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/dignity-memorial-scandal https://www.obitley.com/stories/dignity-memorial-scandal The brand on the door says Dignity Memorial. The name on the court filings says Service Corporation International. Over more than two decades, the distance between those two names has produced roughly $217 million in settlements, civil penalties, and jury verdicts across at least five states. Consumer Protection Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/do-veterans-get-free-cremation https://www.obitley.com/stories/do-veterans-get-free-cremation No program pays for the cremation itself at no cost. But the VA provides no-cost cemetery benefits plus a cash allowance that can bring a family's total cost close to zero. Here is how the math works, where "free cremation for veterans" marketing misleads, and the filing deadline most families miss. Consumer Protection Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-furnace-market https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-furnace-market Four manufacturers control the U.S. and European cremation equipment market, according to SEC filings from the largest supplier. With the cremation rate at 62.8 percent and environmental regulations forcing equipment replacement, the cost of cremation furnaces is widening the divide between chain-owned and independent funeral homes. Industry Analysis Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/va-burial-benefits-filing-guide https://www.obitley.com/stories/va-burial-benefits-filing-guide The VA pays up to $2,004 toward a veteran's funeral, but only if the family files a claim within two years. Most families are never told the benefit exists. Here is exactly how to file, what documents to include, and the five mistakes that cost families money. Consumer Protection Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-equipment-market-matthews-international https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-equipment-market-matthews-international Every cremation in America runs through a machine called a retort. Most come from the same Pittsburgh company. Matthews International's own SEC filings describe a market where four companies control the U.S. and European cremation equipment supply. The Memorialization segment generated $809.5 million in fiscal 2025 with a 21% EBITDA margin. Industry Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/does-va-pay-for-cremation https://www.obitley.com/stories/does-va-pay-for-cremation The VA does pay for cremation. A veteran cremated and interred in a national cemetery receives the same gravesite, headstone, perpetual care, and military honors as a casketed burial. But the cash allowance tops out at $2,004 combined, covering about 32 percent of a median cremation funeral. Consumer Protection Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/wrongful-cremation-authorization-gap-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/wrongful-cremation-authorization-gap-2026 Three families in three states lost their loved ones to cremation in 2026 despite explicit burial instructions. The FTC Funeral Rule requires written authorization before embalming. It has no parallel requirement for cremation. These three cases show why that gap matters. INVESTIGATION Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/kaufman-michigan-preneed-theft-204-victims https://www.obitley.com/stories/kaufman-michigan-preneed-theft-204-victims Terry Alvin Kaufman collected prepaid funeral funds from 204 families, including vulnerable adults under the Huron County Public Guardian, for a decade. He used the money to pay his own salary. Michigan requires escrow. Nobody verified it happened. Fraud Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-demographic-wave-revenue https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-demographic-wave-revenue Census Bureau projections show annual U.S. deaths rising 34% by 2045. The 80+ population doubles. But cremation replacing burial at the same time erases $2,020 per case, and the revenue math undermines the growth story the industry tells itself. Data Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-preference-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-preference-gap Only 33% of Americans rank cremation as their first choice, yet the cremation rate is 62.8%. A new Wake Forest Law survey of 1,510 adults reveals the gap is driven by cost and regulatory access, not preference. Among Gen Z, 52% prefer casket burial. Data Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/hereafter-ai-pricing https://www.obitley.com/stories/hereafter-ai-pricing HereAfter AI charged $3.99 to $7.99 per month for a memory preservation app that created conversational AI personas from recorded interviews. It also sold one-time permanent access plans for $99 to $199. The company is now shutting down. The pricing page returns a 404, but six Stripe checkout links remain active on the homepage. Data Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-deathcare-consolidation-pricing https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-deathcare-consolidation-pricing A Shoestring investigation found that three consolidation firms own 25% of funeral homes in western Massachusetts and charge higher prices than independents in every measured category. Milestone Funeral Services, founded by former SCI employees in 2021, has acquired 77 homes across the Northeast. SCI's own prices run 47 to 72% higher than independents per a Consumer Federation of America study. Massachusetts requires ownership disclosure. Most states do not. Investigation Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/houston-third-ward-community-funeral-home-unlicensed https://www.obitley.com/stories/houston-third-ward-community-funeral-home-unlicensed Houston police raided A Community Funeral Home in the Third Ward in November 2025 after families accused staff of stealing their loved ones' identities. The owner's licenses had been revoked in 2022. By July 2026, the operator faced theft and forgery charges for allegedly stealing $2.2 million from a dead man's estate. A bucket filled with organs was found during a search of the building. Investigation Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-stacking-americas-funeral-home-crisis https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-stacking-americas-funeral-home-crisis Return to Nature (190 bodies). Davis Mortuary (24 bodies). McDermott's (146 bodies). The Pietras case ($790,000 stolen). Four cases across four states that regulators call isolated. The evidence shows a pattern: warning signs ignored, oversight absent, families left with damage that cannot be undone. Investigation Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/mcdermotts-cremation-lawsuits-nevada https://www.obitley.com/stories/mcdermotts-cremation-lawsuits-nevada Three families have filed separate lawsuits against McDermott's Funeral and Cremation Services in Las Vegas after the Nevada Funeral and Cemetery Services Board revoked its license. Bodies were held for up to 252 days. No identifying metal tags were returned with cremains. 146 bodies had to be removed by Clark County officials. The cremains families received may not be their loved ones. Investigation Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/connecticut-pietras-prepaid-funeral-fraud https://www.obitley.com/stories/connecticut-pietras-prepaid-funeral-fraud Philip Pietras allegedly embezzled $790,000 in prepaid funeral funds from more than 120 Connecticut families over 15 years, losing millions at casinos. Connecticut passed the Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices, creating a $1 million victim compensation fund. Restitution begins July 2027. The case exposes how thin oversight of prepaid funeral contracts is across the country. Investigation Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/spartan-stone-new-haven-larceny-reichbart-sentenced https://www.obitley.com/stories/spartan-stone-new-haven-larceny-reichbart-sentenced Eric Reichbart, owner of Spartan Stone and Monument in New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after 30 days, plus three years of probation. He pleaded guilty to third-degree larceny after taking thousands of dollars in deposits from families for headstones that were never delivered. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a parallel civil lawsuit. It is the third major headstone fraud case Obitley has documented. The same regulatory gap runs through all three. Consumer Protection Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-trends-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-trends-2026 The U.S. deathcare market hit $20.7 billion in 2024. Underneath that headline, five trends are pulling the industry in different directions: rising cremation and falling per-case revenue, accelerating consolidation, consumer demand outpacing legal availability, the FTC transparency rule, and a generational succession gap. Industry Analysis Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/communal-pet-cremation-what-no-one-tells-you https://www.obitley.com/stories/communal-pet-cremation-what-no-one-tells-you Communal cremation is the cheapest option offered by most pet cremation providers, but the term obscures what actually happens to your pet's body. An Obitley investigation into the unregulated world of animal aftercare. Investigation Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/disclose-but-keep-operating-foia-inspection-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/disclose-but-keep-operating-foia-inspection-gap New public records responses from four states reveal how thin the funeral home inspection infrastructure really is. Colorado conducted zero routine inspections for years before its 2023 Return to Nature scandal. Wisconsin refused to provide any data, claiming its systems were "temporarily unavailable." Delaware told a journalist to look up licensees one by one through a state portal. Indiana has five inspectors covering more than 600 licensed facilities. The data shows a system designed to react to disasters, not prevent them. INVESTIGATION Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/colorado-sb26-105-coroner-disclosure-law https://www.obitley.com/stories/colorado-sb26-105-coroner-disclosure-law Senate Bill 26-105, prompted by the Davis Mortuary scandal in Pueblo, requires Colorado coroners to post their financial interest in any funeral home, crematory, or deathcare business on a government website. It bars them from official actions affecting their own business. It does not stop them from owning one. The same conflict that let an elected coroner store two dozen decomposing bodies at his own funeral home remains legal in Colorado and most of the country. Conflict of Interest Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/afterlife-ai-companies-shutting-down-bankruptcy https://www.obitley.com/stories/afterlife-ai-companies-shutting-down-bankruptcy StoryFile filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024. HereAfter AI is shutting down. The griefbot industry has produced two confirmed company failures in 18 months, and no regulator covers what happens to the data. Consumer Protection Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/afterlife-ai-cost-pricing https://www.obitley.com/stories/afterlife-ai-cost-pricing Project December charges $10 per 100 messages. You, Only Virtual costs $20 per month. HereAfter AI shut down without warning. No regulation governs what happens to a digital recreation of your loved one when the company fails or the subscription lapses. Consumer Protection Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/terracare-nor-licensing-infrastructure https://www.obitley.com/stories/terracare-nor-licensing-infrastructure A Colorado company announced partnerships bringing human composting to the Southeast and Northeast. The real story is the licensing model underneath: proprietary vessels, proprietary additive, and a network of dependent funeral homes. Green Deathcare Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-market-in-us https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-market-in-us The U.S. deathcare market generates over $20 billion annually across more than 15,401 funeral homes. One company, SCI, captures 18% of that revenue. The rest is split among thousands of independent operators running on shrinking margins. Industry Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-cremation-service-market https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-cremation-service-market The U.S. funeral and cremation services market was valued at $25 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $35 billion by 2034. But the cremation rate rising to 82.3% by 2045 means every incremental case generates $2,020 less revenue than the burial it replaces. Industry Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/crematory-inspection-gap-illinois-heights https://www.obitley.com/stories/crematory-inspection-gap-illinois-heights Illinois found 100 bodies in trailers at a crematory, then passed a law with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and a first-of-its-kind 72-hour emergency body possession protocol. But the law does not require routine inspections. Colorado, Maryland, and Illinois each discovered their worst crematory failures by accident. No state mandates unannounced inspections frequent enough to catch problems before bodies accumulate. Regulation Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-fewer-funerals-higher-prices-q1-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-fewer-funerals-higher-prices-q1-2026 SCI performed 5,872 fewer funerals in Q1 2026 but raised prices 3.4%. Cemetery preneed sales grew 10%. CEO Tom Ryan blamed flu season and demographics. The numbers say otherwise. Finance Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-online-price-transparency-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-online-price-transparency-funeral-homes A survey found more than 60% of funeral home websites provide little to no pricing information. The FTC is considering requiring online price disclosure for the first time in the Funeral Rule's 42-year history. The public comment period closes this year. Regulation Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/yolo-funeral-overcharges-casket-grave https://www.obitley.com/stories/yolo-funeral-overcharges-casket-grave The owners of two legacy Woodland, California funeral homes face a civil enforcement action after a DA investigation found $500,000 in overcharges across 1,000+ families over four and a half years. The complaint describes forged signatures, false government filings, and a funeral where employees threatened to leave a casket hanging over an open grave. Consumer Protection Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-600-million-buyback-debt https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-600-million-buyback-debt SCI's board authorized $600 million in share buybacks while carrying $5.16 billion in debt and a 3.26x debt-to-equity ratio. Net income fell 4.9% in Q1 2026. Interest costs consumed 26 cents of every dollar of operating income. Finance Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/parting-stone-patent-human-remains https://www.obitley.com/stories/parting-stone-patent-human-remains Parting Stone holds the first U.S. utility patent on a method of solidifying cremated human remains, granted March 2026. The company sued a competitor and resolved the case in June. No regulator reviewed the patent's implications for consumers, pricing, or competition in deathcare. Regulation Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/pet-cremation-fraud-regulatory-vacuum https://www.obitley.com/stories/pet-cremation-fraud-regulatory-vacuum A licensed Pennsylvania funeral director collected $657,517 for private pet cremations between 2021 and 2024. Thousands of animals went to a landfill. The FTC Funeral Rule does not cover pet cremation. Pennsylvania's House passed remedial legislation 199 to 0. The Senate has not held a single committee meeting on it. Consumer Protection Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-board-member-voted-on-his-own-sale https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-board-member-voted-on-his-own-sale Oklahoma Funeral Board member John Davenport sold his eight-funeral-home company to Toronto-based Park Lawn Corporation in December 2025. In April 2026, he seconded the board motion approving license transfers for those properties. He did not recuse. Meanwhile, the Institute for Justice is suing the board as an unconstitutional cartel, and the governor who appointed him tried to abolish it. Conflict of Interest Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/park-lawn-oklahoma-thirteen https://www.obitley.com/stories/park-lawn-oklahoma-thirteen A Toronto Stock Exchange company acquired 13 Oklahoma funeral homes in seven months while describing itself on its investor page as "not a consolidator." The acquired homes keep their local names. No state agency tracks who owns them. Consolidation Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/washington-backyard-burial-hb2239 https://www.obitley.com/stories/washington-backyard-burial-hb2239 Washington legalized human composting in 2019. It took seven more years to let families bury a relative on their own land. The bill stalled in committee for three years with no recorded opposition. The statute that blocked it funneled every family into a commercial purchase. Regulation Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/one-in-four-cremated-remains-cost-crisis https://www.obitley.com/stories/one-in-four-cremated-remains-cost-crisis CANA research finds 25% of Americans store cremated remains at home. The trade group calls it a crisis and is selling permanent placement as the fix. The actual driver is cost. Direct cremation runs $1,500. A columbarium niche adds $2,500 on top. Families are not neglecting their dead. They cannot afford the second purchase. Consumer Protection Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/foundation-partners-lilypay-bnpl-funeral-financing https://www.obitley.com/stories/foundation-partners-lilypay-bnpl-funeral-financing Foundation Partners Group partnered with fintech Lilypay to sell grieving families installment plans. The lender markets 0 percent interest ever. The fee is up to 8 percent. No federal agency tracks funeral BNPL defaults. Consumer Protection Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/headstone-fraud-500-families-no-oversight https://www.obitley.com/stories/headstone-fraud-500-families-no-oversight Gregory J. Stefan Jr. pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud after collecting $1.5 million from nearly 500 families for headstones he never delivered. The FTC Funeral Rule does not cover standalone monument dealers. No state requires escrow for upfront payments. Consumer Protection Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ai-digital-afterlife-grief-subscription https://www.obitley.com/stories/ai-digital-afterlife-grief-subscription Six companies sell AI replicas of the dead. Meta patented a system for autonomous posthumous agents. No state requires consent from the deceased. No federal law governs who owns a digital persona after death. The industry is scaling inside that vacuum. Regulation Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/colorado-coroner-davis-mortuary-first-inspection https://www.obitley.com/stories/colorado-coroner-davis-mortuary-first-inspection Colorado hired its first two funeral home inspectors after the Return to Nature scandal. Their first inspection found a coroner-run mortuary in Pueblo hiding two dozen decomposing bodies, some there for over a decade. Regulation Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-100-million-stock-offering https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-100-million-stock-offering Carriage Services filed paperwork to sell up to $100 million of its own stock to fund more funeral home acquisitions and pay down debt. The company carries $522.3 million in long-term debt against $2.9 million in cash, and interest expense ate 27% of its first-quarter operating income. Finance Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/va-burial-allowance-veterans-funeral-cost-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/va-burial-allowance-veterans-funeral-cost-gap For nearly a decade the VA paid families $300 toward a funeral while the median funeral passed $8,000. A veterans bill moving through Congress addresses paperwork and cemetery access, not the dollar amount. Regulation Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-boom-water-cremation-fact-check https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-boom-water-cremation-fact-check A new documentary from Eli Roth and Leonardo DiCaprio's production company is bringing water cremation to a mainstream audience. The coverage that followed got the basic facts wrong. We checked the record. Cremation Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-47-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-47-funeral-homes We tracked every deal, every price increase, every community left with fewer choices. The consolidation of American deathcare is accelerating — and it's happening without scrutiny. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-knoxville https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-knoxville When the fourth-generation family funeral home changed hands, residents noticed: higher prices, shorter services, and a corporate script replacing personal care. Consolidation Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-rate-62-percent https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-rate-62-percent CANA's latest data shows cremation accelerating beyond projections. We map what this means for small-town funeral home revenue models and survival strategies. Cremation Trends Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-mortuary-students-leadership-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-mortuary-students-leadership-gap The pipeline is full. The leadership is empty. We spoke with 14 women across the industry about the barriers that keep them out of the executive suite. Women in Deathcare Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-funeral-rule-rewrite https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-funeral-rule-rewrite The first major update to the Funeral Rule in decades. We break down what changes, what stays the same, and what it means for consumers and operators. Regulation Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/aquamation-legalized https://www.obitley.com/stories/aquamation-legalized Alkaline hydrolysis is gaining legal ground fast. We map the state-by-state landscape and what's driving the expansion. Cremation Trends Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-funeral https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-funeral Deathcare is recession-proof, cash-rich, and fragmented — exactly what PE firms look for. We trace the money flowing into the industry. Finance Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-cafe-1000-events https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-cafe-1000-events What started as a quirky idea in a London basement has become a global phenomenon. We look at why Americans are gathering to talk about dying. Culture Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/independent-funeral-directors https://www.obitley.com/stories/independent-funeral-directors They can't compete on price, they can't compete on marketing, and they can't find successors. We examine the slow extinction of the independent funeral director. Operators Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-vs-burial-cost-comparison-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-vs-burial-cost-comparison-2026 The national cremation rate has crossed 62%. But the decision between cremation and burial isn't just about preference — it's about thousands of dollars in costs most families never see coming. We broke down the real numbers. Cremation Trends Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/hedge-funds-buying-local-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/hedge-funds-buying-local-funeral-homes Beyond SCI, a constellation of private equity firms and hedge funds has been acquiring independent funeral homes at an accelerating pace. We traced the money — and the impact on the families who pay the bills. Finance Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/embalming-industry-sustainability-problem https://www.obitley.com/stories/embalming-industry-sustainability-problem The United States buries an estimated 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid every year. As environmental regulation tightens globally, the American funeral industry's reliance on a known carcinogen faces an uncertain future. Culture Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/alzheimers-death-rate-reshaping-end-of-life-care https://www.obitley.com/stories/alzheimers-death-rate-reshaping-end-of-life-care Alzheimer's disease deaths have increased 145% since 2000 while heart disease and stroke declined. For funeral directors, the dementia epidemic means longer visits, harder conversations, and families who need something different from the traditional funeral. Operators Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/direct-cremation-startups-rise https://www.obitley.com/stories/direct-cremation-startups-rise Direct cremation startups are offering transparent pricing, online ordering, and zero upselling — forcing traditional funeral homes to compete on price for the first time. But regulatory barriers and industry resistance are slowing the disruption. Operators Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-workers-mental-health-crisis https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-workers-mental-health-crisis A national survey of funeral directors reveals alarming rates of burnout, substance abuse, and PTSD. With an aging workforce and few mental health resources tailored to deathcare, the industry faces a personnel crisis that threatens the quality of care grieving families receive. Culture Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/last-family-funeral-home-closes https://www.obitley.com/stories/last-family-funeral-home-closes When the fourth-generation funeral home in Milledgeville, Georgia closed last year, residents faced a 45-minute drive to the nearest alternative. It's a story repeating itself in rural communities nationwide as aging directors retire without successors and corporate chains fill the void. Operators Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-donation-industry-who-profits https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-donation-industry-who-profits Body donation is often presented as a noble final act. But behind the scenes, a multi-million-dollar industry of body brokers operates with minimal oversight, selling donated remains to medical training companies, researchers, and the military — sometimes without donor or family consent. Finance Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/state-by-state-funeral-regulation-breakdown https://www.obitley.com/stories/state-by-state-funeral-regulation-breakdown The federal FTC Funeral Rule sets a baseline of consumer protections. But state regulations vary wildly — from states that require itemized pricing and transparent contracts to states where funeral homes can operate with virtually no oversight. Here's what the map looks like. Regulation Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-advertising-targets-grieving https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-advertising-targets-grieving A review of digital marketing practices in the deathcare industry reveals how funeral homes, cremation providers, and pre-need insurance companies use targeted advertising to reach families at their most vulnerable. FTC enforcement has been limited, and existing rules were written for a pre-internet era. Regulation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-ceos-funeral-groups https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-ceos-funeral-groups From StoneMor Partners to regional funeral groups, a new generation of female chief executives is challenging the good-old-boy network that has governed American deathcare for over a century. Their leadership styles are different — and so are their business strategies. Women in Deathcare Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/green-burial-movement-mainstream https://www.obitley.com/stories/green-burial-movement-mainstream The number of green burial grounds in the U.S. has tripled since 2019. What began as a fringe movement embraced by environmentalists and back-to-land practitioners is becoming a legitimate alternative — and the fastest-growing segment of the deathcare market. Culture Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cemetery-land-running-out-major-cities https://www.obitley.com/stories/cemetery-land-running-out-major-cities London has been reusing graves for decades. Singapore has gone nearly 100% cremation. Now American cities are confronting the same math: finite land, growing populations, and a burial tradition that consumes real estate at an unsustainable rate. Operators Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/covid-changed-funeral-services-permanently https://www.obitley.com/stories/covid-changed-funeral-services-permanently The pandemic forced funeral homes to adopt technology overnight. Five years later, many of those emergency adaptations have become permanent features of American deathcare — changing not just how we mourn, but who gets to participate. Culture Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/pre-need-funeral-contract-trap https://www.obitley.com/stories/pre-need-funeral-contract-trap An estimated $40 billion sits in prepaid funeral contracts across the United States. But when families try to collect, many discover coverage gaps, inflated prices, and contracts that don't travel across state lines. An investigation into the fine print of planning ahead. Finance Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-vetoes-human-composting-burial-freedom https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-vetoes-human-composting-burial-freedom Oklahoma was poised to become the latest state to legalize natural organic reduction. Then the governor's veto pen turned a quiet regulatory debate into a national flashpoint over disposal freedom, industry lobbying, and who gets to decide what happens to your body. Regulation Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/everstory-franklin-memorial-park-acquisition https://www.obitley.com/stories/everstory-franklin-memorial-park-acquisition When Everstory Partners acquired Franklin Memorial Park in New Jersey, it was one more deal in a buying spree that has gone largely unnoticed. Behind the warm rebrand lies a company transformed from a troubled publicly traded cemetery operator into a private equity-powered consolidator with 460+ locations and global capital backing. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/pinnacle-draeger-langendorf-acquisition https://www.obitley.com/stories/pinnacle-draeger-langendorf-acquisition When Mark Langendorf sold his family's nearly century-old funeral home to Pinnacle Funeral Service, he described the buyer as "the right steward for the future." But behind the warm language of legacy and continuity sits a company that has acquired 15 Wisconsin funeral homes, advertises pre-approved acquisition financing, and operates a Free Valuation page designed to identify its next targets. This is what the succession crisis looks like from the inside. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/hidden-fees-funeral-bill-investigation https://www.obitley.com/stories/hidden-fees-funeral-bill-investigation Americans spend decades planning for retirement. Most spend less than 48 hours planning a funeral. We analyzed hundreds of funeral bills across six states and found a pattern of opaque pricing, inflated markups, and fees that regulators have known about for decades. The FTC Funeral Rule was supposed to fix this. It hasn't. And with private equity flooding into deathcare, the problem is getting worse, not better. Regulation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/if-you-paid-for-a-headstone-and-never-received-it https://www.obitley.com/stories/if-you-paid-for-a-headstone-and-never-received-it Gregory Stefan Jr. defrauded nearly 500 families across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Jeffrey Phares defrauded dozens of families across four West Virginia cemeteries. Both pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud. Both cases are in pre-sentencing restitution phases. If you paid either man for a headstone or grave marker that was never delivered, federal prosecutors need your documentation — and the deadlines are tied to sentencing dates that have not yet been set. Consumer Protection Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/chptr-400-homes-deathcare-data-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/chptr-400-homes-deathcare-data-gap Chptr announced 400 funeral homes now use its broadcast memorial platform. Its marketing promises families complete control. Its published privacy policy permits sharing memorial data with unnamed marketing partners and in acquisitions. No federal privacy law covers deathcare data. Data & Privacy Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/park-lawn-going-private-1-2-billion https://www.obitley.com/stories/park-lawn-going-private-1-2-billion Park Lawn Corporation, which acquired at least 16 funeral homes in Oklahoma alone over seven months, is going private in a $1.2 billion deal with a preneed insurance company and a Toronto private equity firm. Once the deal closes, the company's acquisitions will no longer appear in any public filing. Consolidation Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cana-2026-cremation-rate-deceleration https://www.obitley.com/stories/cana-2026-cremation-rate-deceleration The national cremation rate hit 62.8% in CANA's 2026 Annual Report. But the growth curve is flattening, and the board that published the data includes two SCI executives, a Park Lawn officer, and a Foundation Partners Group vice president. When the industry's own statistics association is governed by the companies consolidating it, the numbers deserve scrutiny. Investigation Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-vendor-pipeline-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-vendor-pipeline-2026 In one week of July 2026, four vendor partnerships revealed where deathcare revenue is actually moving. Funeral homes are outsourcing preneed sales, payment processing, call answering, and insurance distribution to third-party companies that now own the customer relationship and the data. Industry Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ai-funeral-operations-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/ai-funeral-operations-2026 Eazewell, co-founded by Russell Westbrook, has served 100,000-plus families with an AI funeral planning agent. Meadow raised $9 million to digitize funeral logistics. Passare integrated AI call answering. The regulatory framework has not moved. Investigation Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/robert-bush-legacy-funerals-uk https://www.obitley.com/stories/robert-bush-legacy-funerals-uk Robert Bush operated Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, England for 12 years before police found 35 bodies and discovered families had been given the wrong ashes. His 67 guilty pleas expose a complaint-driven regulatory system that mirrors the oversight gaps documented across the United States. The solution starts with empowering good funeral directors to report bad actors without fear of retaliation. Investigation Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-home-estate-theft-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-home-estate-theft-2026 In Houston, a funeral director was hired to handle a funeral and then forged a will to steal the dead man's $2 million estate. In South Carolina, a funeral home owner had an 88-year-old woman with dementia sign a $20 million will in his parking lot. Neither case was caught by any regulator. Both were caught by families. Investigation Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-trends-sci-q2-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-trends-sci-q2-2026 SCI's Q2 2026 earnings show 3% fewer at-need funerals, 130 basis points of funeral margin compression, and 8% growth in preneed sales. The trend defining deathcare in 2026 is visible in the SEC filing. Finance Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/nfda-acquires-selected-independent-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/nfda-acquires-selected-independent-funeral-homes The only national trade association exclusively for independent funeral homes is being absorbed by NFDA after 18 months of internal deliberation. The official FAQ admits financial pressures forced the deal, even as the press release frames it as strategic growth. Consolidation Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ce-requirements-insurance-agents-vs-funeral-directors https://www.obitley.com/stories/ce-requirements-insurance-agents-vs-funeral-directors The woman who sells you a $5,000 final expense policy gets fraud training. The director who handles your $12,000 preneed trust contract does not. An Obitley investigation into the regulatory education gap. Investigation Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/spartan-stone-civil-case-damages-hearing https://www.obitley.com/stories/spartan-stone-civil-case-damages-hearing The criminal case ended with a 30-day sentence. The civil case has reached the Hearings in Damages trial list after eleven months of procedural filings. All three defendants have refused to participate. The next court date is August 19. Investigation Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/texas-one-inspector-837-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/texas-one-inspector-837-funeral-homes Texas has 1,674 licensed funeral homes and crematories. The state agency charged with inspecting them employs two inspectors. That is one inspector for every 837 facilities. The worst ratio documented in any state Obitley has investigated. Investigation Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT