The Modern Mortician’s Legal Battle: Retaliation, Corruption, and a Fight for Justice

For over two decades, Melissa Meadow, known as The Modern Mortician, dedicated her life to funeral service, focusing on ethical, transparent, and sustainable deathcare. However, when she took a job at Penttila’s Funeral Home in Long Beach, Washington, she quickly found herself at the center of a campaign to ruin her career and personal life. What began as an effort to improve industry practices turned into a nightmare of wrongful accusations, retaliation, and a deeply flawed legal battle that resulted in a felony conviction for a crime she did not commit.

A Career of Advocacy Turns into a Target

Melissa’s commitment to educating the public about alternative funeral options and exposing unethical practices had already made her a controversial figure in the industry. Since 2015, she had been outspoken about issues like price gouging, misleading marketing, and corporate greed in deathcare. Despite this, she continued to work within the system, believing she could bring about change from the inside.

In April 2022, she was hired by Anderson, the owner of Penttila’s Funeral Home, after being transparent about her social media presence and advocacy work. Almost immediately, she began noticing serious issues, including unlicensed cremations, improper body handling, and cremations conducted on Amazon boxes instead of proper trays. She attempted to implement changes, but her efforts were dismissed or ridiculed.

Her position required her to handle administrative work, including setting up funeral home price lists and ordering supplies for three locations. She was given business credit cards to use for purchasing office and funeral supplies, which remained saved in her Amazon account. She also used many of her own personal supplies—stationery, keepsakes, and memorial items—to serve families, quickly depleting her stock without reimbursement.

Over the summer of 2022, tensions grew as Melissa became increasingly vocal about the funeral home’s unethical practices. In August, after she posted an educational TikTok unboxing a Titan Casket and informing consumers they could purchase caskets independently, Anderson ordered her to delete the video. When she refused, citing the transparency she had always maintained, their relationship further deteriorated. On August 31, while on a scheduled medical leave, she received a text message informing her that she had been fired.

Retaliation Begins

What followed was a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation and career. Anderson refused to let her pack her own belongings, instead having employees do it for her. When she arrived to retrieve them, she photographed the pile of Amazon boxes being used as makeshift cremation trays—one of many unethical practices she had tried to correct.

Over the next several months, Anderson escalated his retaliation. He falsely told unemployment officials that Melissa had been fired for harassing a colleague, a claim later overturned when the unemployment office ruled in her favor. He filed a complaint with the Washington Department of Funeral Licensing, accusing her of acting as a funeral director without a licensed funeral home. He reached out to her business colleagues and contacts. She was blacklisted in the industry, with local funeral homes being warned not to work with her.

By December 2022, the situation worsened. While volunteering at the Long Beach post office during the holiday rush, she learned that Anderson had walked in and demanded she be removed, claiming she was under investigation. Days later, a local police officer called her in for questioning regarding Amazon purchases made while she worked at Penttila’s. Despite explaining that the business credit cards had been saved to her account with Anderson’s knowledge, and that she had already returned many items, she was not read her Miranda rights before being pressured into writing a statement. She left the station believing the matter had been resolved.

A Wrongful Conviction

In March 2023, she received a court summons—not a formal arrest, just a letter in the mail. It was summoning her to Superior Court in said County, with a charge of THEFT BY MISDELIEVERY and listed one Casket. This casket had been sent to her for social media marketing and was not intended for the funeral home. She was able to procure a letter stating this and anxiously awaited her opportunity to correct the gross misunderstanding. At her first hearing, she was appointed a court-appointed attorney, Justin Kover, who quickly proved ineffective. He refused to meet with her outside of brief courthouse interactions, ignored evidence that could prove her innocence, and repeatedly delayed proceedings, weakening her case.

Meanwhile, the harassment intensified. Employees of Penttila’s confronted her in public places, shouting accusations at her in stores. In April, one of them began following her and recording her, prompting Melissa to file for a protective order. Even Anderson’s girlfriend ambushed her in a grocery store, trying to provoke a reaction.

As the case dragged on, prosecutors increased the pressure. What had started as a single charge was expanded to 14 counts of second-degree identity theft. Her attorney did nothing to push back. On September 29, 2023, after months of delays, legal intimidation, and emotional exhaustion, she was forced to sign a plea deal under duress. With no legal advocate willing to fight for her, she had no choice. She protested even as she signed, telling the attorney, “This isn’t what happened. This isn’t right.”

The Toll on Mental Health

The entire ordeal took a devastating toll on Melissa’s mental health. Already struggling with undiagnosed disabilities and the compounded stress of job instability, financial insecurity, and industry burnout, this situation pushed her to the brink. The isolation, constant defamation, and fear of retaliation created an environment where survival became the only priority. She had spent years advocating for better funeral practices, only to become a victim of the very corruption she had fought against.

The emotional weight of being publicly humiliated, having her livelihood stripped away, and being forced into a legal battle with no real defense shattered her sense of security. At her lowest point, she struggled to see a future beyond the accusations.

Fighting Back

Despite everything, Melissa refuses to let this define her. She has filed a grievance against her attorney with the Washington State Bar, gathered evidence proving her innocence, and will have the charge expunged in 2028 . She continues to speak out about industry corruption, advocating for greater oversight and protections for funeral professionals and consumers alike.

Her podcast, Exposing Deathcare, is now a platform for others who have faced similar retaliation. She remains committed to ensuring that what happened to her does not happen to anyone else.

A System Rigged Against Whistleblowers

Melissa’s case is a clear example of what happens when small-town business owners, legal systems, and industry insiders work together to silence those who challenge them. She was punished not because she did anything wrong, but because she tried to do what was right. The funeral industry thrives on secrecy, and those who expose its unethical practices often face severe consequences.

But Melissa isn’t backing down. She is determined to fight for justice, not just for herself, but for others who have been silenced, defamed, and retaliated against.

Justice for The Modern Mortician

Melissa’s story is far from over. She just completed a year long battle to retain her funeral director license and to clear her name. Melissa is still advocating for national regulatory changes, and continuing to provide support and education in ethical deathcare. The funeral industry may have tried to destroy her, but they underestimated her resilience.

Melissa Meadow has spent her career ensuring families have choices at end-of-life. Now, she is fighting for her own future—because the truth deserves to be heard.