TNB Night Owl – Freak Show Body Dissection at the Marriot Hotel

Mad scientist's laboratory.
Mad scientist's laboratory. Image captured by the News Blender.

Yes, I am aware this sounds like an American Horror Story title.

A 98 year old COVID-19 victim was front and center in a freak show body dissection without consent from the family, according to a report. Dave Saunders’ family including his widow only learned of the autopsy demonstration at a Marriot ballroom after the fact when it was reported in a Portland news station.

The event was part of a traveling “Oddities and Curiosities Expo” which features occult art and sideshow performances. They promote themselves as the nations foremost community of “all things weird”, and the experience is yours for $500 a ticket.

Mike Clark, the funeral director who reportedly prepared Saunders’ body commented “It makes me really feel saddened that this gentleman was not given the dignity and the respect that he deserved and what he thought and his family thought that would be happening to his body”

Dave Saunders’ and his family donated his body to Med Ed Labs, a Las Vegas company. His family members thought his corpse would be used to further science and discovery in private medical research, not in a freak show.

“I was totally horrified,” Clark told the station. “Our whole staff was horrified that this is what had happened to a gentleman that he and his family thought his body was going for the advancement of medical students.”

Death Science responded with a statement saying its contract with Med Ed Labs of Las Vegas certified that “the provided cadaver was donated for research, medical and educational purposes.”. Jeremy Ciliberto, the expo’s organizer only commented that Saunders and his family did give consent.

For one, I will never look at Marriot Ballrooms the same way. That’s definitely off the wedding venue list. Secondly, I will certainly be looking into what qualifies for “research”.

QOTN: Do you make sure to read the fine print?

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