You’d think funeral homes would maintain that all people, even so-called “evil” ones, deserve a dignified burial. But look at what happens when the family of a high-profile killer tries to find a funeral home – those businesses flee quicker than a congressman facing a bank-regulation bill. But one brave funeral home just made bank for their courage.
A bit of background:
Lee Harvey Oswald’s body was once dug up to satisfy conspiracy theorists who questioned whether Oswald was actually in his casket. I’m not sure who they hoped to find there instead, maybe Jimmy Hoffa. When authorities reburied Oswald (or did they?) a new casket was used and the original one was returned to the funeral home. Recently that funeral home sold Oswald’s (badly decomposed) coffin at auction.
Which begs two questions: What freak-show of humanity would want to own Oswald’s coffin? And why? Is it safer than investing in the stock market? You can picture some rich old guy who owns a chain of fertilizer plants trying to impress a woman half his age:
“This is my Monet and this here is Oswald’s coffin. Isn’t that thing awesome?”
Another woman flees the penthouse.
So the funeral home just got $87,000 for the casket at auction. Yes, it’s a ghoulish, tasteless sale to someone I’d never want to meet. But the funeral home is now being rewarded for its humanity and courage 50 years ago.
A grave yard sale?
Okay, I’ll say it and then I’ll run away and hide “Talk about digging up the past!”