Funeral Day Burglar Convicted: Thieving from Those Who are Grieving and Its Effect on Paid Death Notices and Obituaries

Imagine attending a funeral for a loved one only to discover that your home has been robbed during the service.

Even worse, the thief had an easy score because you listed the funeral service details in a paid death notice or an obituary in your local newspaper. Your home was guaranteed to be empty at the time of the funeral service.

Think it can't happen? Think again.

According to the Associated Press, a man dubbed the "funeral day burglar" was convicted of 10 counts related to burglary in Missouri. Authorities say he used information from the obituary pages of newspapers to steal from homes that were empty while family members attended funerals.

Most paid death notices and obituaries list the date, time and location of a decedent's funeral services.

Now, some funeral homes are sharing the story of the "funeral day burglar" with families, while discouraging them from listing funeral service information in paid death notices or obituaries of local newspapers. Meanwhile, other funeral homes are discouraging families from posting any detailed information about a decedent's birthplace, birth date or home address because of identity theft issues.

While families have been grateful to funeral homes for being informed of the possibilities, it's also left them in a quandary about whether to list funeral service information in a paid death notice or release that information to a professional obituary writer.

Alana Baranick, obituary writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and chief author of "Life on the Death Beat: A Handbook for Obituary Writers," reminds families that this sort of crime is nothing new.

"Burglars have been breaking into houses, while the residents are attending funerals, for as long as I can remember. I recall hearing about such things when I was a child in the 1950s. And I'm sure it was happening before that. Funeral details are provided in news obituaries and paid death notices in most papers and online. Mourners want to know when and where they can pay their respects to the family. And bereaved families use the newspaper to invite friends of the deceased to attend the funeral," Baranick explains. "I don't think the time and location of the funeral is something that should be omitted from the newspaper. I think the bigger problem is publishing the home address. But even that shouldn't matter in this day and age. Internet-savvy burglars can find addresses by googling or checking public records. I don't include the families' street addresses in the obits I write, but Jewish families routinely announce the home address where they'll be sitting Shiva. I also don't usually give the time and location for post-funeral receptions. Doing so might result in freeloaders, who didn't know the deceased, showing up for a free meal. And I rarely say that the deceased had a vast collection of fine art, antique cars, coins, stamps, autographed baseballs, Barbie dolls, etc. That's just begging for trouble. When those hobbies are big in the person's life, I might say that they collected such things. But whenever possible - and when it is true - I mention that the deceased donated collectibles to museums, sold them or gave them away."

Baranick doesn't believe any report of funeral burglars will have a long-term effect on obituary or paid death notice listings in newspapers.

"I can't imagine why funeral homes would discourage families from placing paid death notices because of this. Each death notice placed and most reporter-written obituaries that are printed carry the name of the funeral home. It's good advertising for them. Folks, who worry about being robbed, should find someone to housesit for them while they're at the funeral," Baranick suggests.

Baranick, who won the 2005 American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for obituary writing, has dealt with a family's concern of a similar issue.

"I once worked on an obituary about a woman, who was a model schoolteacher, a community activist and a tireless volunteer. I really wanted to share her story with our readers. But she died before her time - in her 50s or 60s. My editors require an explanation for why someone, whom they believe is too young to die, is dead. We have to give a cause of death. Her family did not want us to print that this inspiring woman died of cancer. They were afraid that drug addicts would break into their house to look for morphine or other drugs. Sure, they worried about it happening while they were at the funeral. But they also were concerned it could happen at any time." Baranick adds, "Her story never ran."

The obituary is viewed as the final piece of published biographical information on someone's life. Most importantly, families should feel comfortable with any information they release to the public.

For more information about Alana Baranick or obituaries visit www.deathbeat.com.