Death, life’s ultimate closure, often casts a long shadow over the funeral that follows. These ceremonies rarely spark protest or public outcry, but in the spring of 2013 Lonewolf Smith was thrust into a national dilemma when he and his colleagues at Graham, Putney, & Mahoney Funeral Parlors were asked to tend to the body of one of America’s most reviled terrorists.

In this story we hear from former mortician Lonewolf on his dedication to his often-misunderstood work, a personal moral dilemma following his own experience with a horrific act of terrorism, and how he answers the question of who deserves a proper burial.

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Produced by Grace Heerman, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray.

Sound Design by George Drake Jr.

Music by Mike Etten.

Intro/Outro music by Anand Wilder

For more about this story, including photos by Robert Johansson, visit everythingisstories.com.

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