WOMEN ARE IN DANGER OF PREDATORS - EVEN IN DEATH
WARNING : sexual assault, graphic content
I am the great granddaughter of Black business owners. My maternal great grand parents owned a steak house on the 1960’s chitlin circuit in a small town in Texas, in the same town my paternal grandparents owned a mortuary. My paternal great grandfather was a tall and slender man. Polished and quite handsome, soft spoken and very kind. Lawerence Crenshaw, I am his namesake. We called him Granddaddy and gosh I miss him. Grandaddy and his wife were the owners of then Eunice’s Funeral Home now Crenshaw Funeral Home, a well respected and Black owned funeral home that opened in 1947 and is still operating today.
When I started my career in makeup, someone said to me, if you don’t make it in New York, you’ll have a career making up faces at the funeral home. To which I was insulted and appalled - mainly because the suggestion that I wouldn’t make it in NYC was truly appalling. On another note, and I have to throw this out there one of my faves, THEEEE Whoopi Goldberg once worked as a mortuary cosmetologist - but why wouldn’t she, she is cool enough to make any job interesting.
Throughout most of the 20th century the terms “undertaker,” “mortician,” or “funeral director” have been socially tied to a visual image of a somber male in a black suit. For thousands of years before the funeral business evolved into an industry, caring for the dead was traditionally considered women’s work.
Modern embalming started in the 18th century but became commonplace after the Civil war. When embalming and funerals became industrialized undertaking shifted away from women’s work due to the sexist ideals around women’s employment reinforcing gender biased traditions Clearing a path for the male dominated funeral industry of the early 20th century.
I recently came across a shocking twitter thread about the rise of the female mortician and why she matters. I’ll start off by saying this it’s exactly why you think … 92% of necrophiliacs are men while 94% of necrophilia victims are women. Apparently, there has not been a sufficient number of necrophiliacs to establish any effective treatments although necrophilia has been documented since before the 13th century. This said there are 10 categories and 8 classifications.
The taboo of necrophilia is not a new phenomenon, with strong social norms against it being present since ancient times. Ancient Egyptians took precautions against necrophilia by prohibiting the corpses of the wives of men of rank from being delivered immediately to the embalmers, for fear that the embalmers would violate them’ and can also be found in ancient legends ‘such as that of King Herod having sex with his wife Marianne for seven years after he killed her. Another historical case is that of Sergeant François Bertrand, a sergeant in the French army, who during the years 1847–1849 dug up corpses, to have sex with them. It was Bertrand’s case that prompted the Belgian Psychiatrist Joseph Guislain to come up with the term necrophilia.
Necrophilia is not a new form of crime, there is scope for it to be more openly discussed today due to the sexualization of our society and the broader emotional desensitization to violent crime due, in large part, to media representations (both fictional and not) in contemporary digital culture. However, there continues to be limited research and debate on the topic, which is surprising considering the lack of legal framework surrounding it.
In the US, 28 of 50 States classify necrophilia a felony, the other 21 states classify necrophilia a misdemeanor and Connecticut considers necrophilia a felony if the victim is under 16. There is little known treatment of necrophilia. While 92% of necrophiliacs are men Karen Greenlee made headlines in 1979 when she drove off in a hearse the went missing for two days. Instead of delivering the body to the cemetery she decided to spend some time alone with the corpse. Eventually, the police found her in the next county, having overdosed on codeine Tylenol. Greenlee was charged with illegally driving a hearse and interfering with the burial In the casket with the body Greenlee left a four-and-a-half page letter confessing to amorous episodes with between twenty to forty dead men. The letter was filled with remorse over her sexual desires: “Why do I do it? Why? Why? Fear of love, relationships. No romance ever hurt like this … It’s the pits. I’m a morgue rat. This is my rathole, perhaps my grave.”
The letter was her downfall. Greenlee got eleven days in jail, a $255 fine for stealing the hearse and was placed on two years probation with medical treatment recommended. The mother of the deceased man sued, for emotional distress. She asked for $1 million, but settled for $117, 000 in general and punitive damages.
However, the most notorious cases of necrophilia were perpetuated by men. In 1976, Kenneth Douglas was hired by the Hamilton County Morgue, working night shifts and indulging in excessive alcohol and crack cocaine consumption. He began to sexually violate the deceased awaiting autopsies. Despite his wife's suspicions and reports to his supervisor about his behavior, Douglas had unrestricted access to dead bodies until leaving the morgue in 1992.
After his departure, Douglas admitted to removing Karen Range's body from storage about four hours after its delivery, getting drunk, smoking crack, and confessing to wanting to have sex with her. He later received a three-year jail sentence for the "gross abuse of a corpse." Eventually, Douglas confessed to sexually violating over 100 dead bodies during his 16-year tenure. In 2012, Douglas pled guilty to sexually desecrating the bodies in a videotaped deposition where he admitted to numerous atrocities. After facing criticism for resisting the lawsuits, Hamilton County settled with the victims' families in 2015. Kenneth Douglas, now 62, is out of prison, maintaining a low profile.
A bill was introduced in the California legislature that year to specifically make necrophilia a crime, but it ended up stalling in committee. Another high-profile necrophilia case in the state the following year convinced the legislature to pass a bill outlawing the practice. It was signed into law in 2004. Many states still don't have laws on the books specifically banning necrophilia. However, their law enforcement often suggests that this is a result of legislative oversight rather than a conscious suggestion that it is to be tolerated. More often than not, states that don't have laws against necrophilia will tend to interpret other criminal laws on their books broadly enough to prohibit sexual interplay with corpses.
In various states with specific laws against necrophilia, the range of punishments can be notably diverse. Nevada, for instance, imposes a maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole, along with a fine of up to $20,000. In contrast, Minnesota stipulates a maximum sentence of up to 1 year in prison and a $3,000 fine for the same offense.
The significant disparities in punishments across states regarding necrophilia highlight the complex balance between societal values when assessing the gravity of the crime. On one hand, necrophilia deeply violates a set of sacred values held by many, defying the innate respect for the deceased and causing psychological distress to living relatives. On the other hand, arguments may arise suggesting that since no harm is inflicted upon a living person, the severity of the crime might not equate to offenses such as rape or assault.
This dichotomy results in some states categorizing necrophilia as a serious felony, akin to the most heinous moral crimes, while others treat it as a mere misdemeanor deserving of a stern warning and minimal incarceration.
In states without explicit laws against necrophilia, law enforcement often interprets existing criminal statutes broadly to encompass sexual acts with corpses. A notable case in Wisconsin in 2006 exemplifies this approach, where three individuals attempted to exhume a deceased woman for sexual purposes. Lacking specific necrophilia laws, Wisconsin initially charged them with attempted third-degree sexual assault. However, lower courts dismissed these charges, arguing that Wisconsin law did not explicitly criminalize necrophilia.
The case reached the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2008 (State of Wisconsin v. Grunke), leading to a 5 to 2 decision to reinstate the original charges of attempted sexual assault. The majority concluded that, according to Wisconsin law, engaging in sexual intercourse without the consent of the person involved is a felony. In this instance, the victim did not provide consent, as she was deceased, allowing the application of sexual assault charges. The court emphasized that the state must still prove the element "without consent" beyond a reasonable doubt, even when the victim is deceased. Prosecutors argued that interpreting the law otherwise would hinder bringing sexual assault charges in cases where a victim is killed before being sexually assaulted.
Because these egregious actions are perpetrated by majority men, the male dominated industry is losing its male dominance. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, 16 percent of its current membership is female, up from 10% in 2004.” Those numbers have consistently been on the rise. In fact, In 2017, nearly 65% of graduates from funeral director programs in the United States were women.
SAFETY TIPS AND PRECAUTIONS FOR POSTMORTEM SAFETY
Advance Directives and Wills: Women, before passing away, can express their preferences regarding who handles their body after death and specify any religious or cultural considerations. Creating a clear and legally binding document can provide guidance and ensure their wishes are respected.
Families and Friends Communication: Open communication among family and friends is crucial. Discussing and understanding the deceased woman's cultural or religious beliefs and preferences regarding post-mortem rituals can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure adherence to her wishes.
Legal Protections: Familiarize oneself with local and national laws regarding post-mortem procedures. Understanding legal rights and protections can empower women and their families to challenge any unauthorized actions or violations of their cultural or religious practices.
Designated Representatives: Appointing a trusted family member or friend as a designated representative in legal documents can provide an additional layer of protection. This representative can ensure that the deceased woman's wishes are honored and act as a liaison with authorities or religious officials.
Cultural Sensitivity Training: Funeral homes, morgue staff, and religious authorities should undergo cultural sensitivity training to understand and respect diverse practices related to death rituals. This education can help create an environment that values and upholds cultural and religious traditions.
Community Support: Building a supportive community that shares similar cultural or religious values can provide strength and assistance in navigating these sensitive matters. Community organizations can also play a role in advocating for the protection of cultural and religious practices surrounding death.
Legal Advocacy Groups: Identifying and collaborating with legal advocacy groups that specialize in cultural and religious rights can offer additional support and resources. These groups can provide guidance on legal options and intervention if necessary.
Educational Initiatives: Promoting awareness and education within communities about the importance of respecting post-mortem rituals can contribute to a broader cultural understanding and acceptance. This can reduce the likelihood of unauthorized actions and ensure the safe passage of women in death.
Even in death, women are not safe from predators. How can we ensure that women are safe in these environments when they do not have the ability to speak for themselves? However, concerns arise about ensuring the safety of women in all postmortem environments, particularly when they lack the ability to speak for themselves. Safeguarding the dignity of deceased women is paramount, and there are several guardrails and precautions that can be implemented to address these concerns. By implementing these guardrails and precautions, individuals, families, and communities can work towards creating an environment where women are safe in death, and their cultural and religious practices are honored with the utmost respect and sensitivity.