MTV Former "Teen Mom" star Lexi Tatman said she was a victim of Colorado funeral home director Megan Hess, who was accused of dismembering more than 500 corpses and selling the body parts.
Former “Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant” star Lexi Tatman issued a lengthy statement via Instagram after a former Colorado funeral home director was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Tatman said she and her family were victims of Megan Hess, the woman accused of dismembering more than 500 body parts and selling them without the consent of their families, according to the Colorado Department of Justice. The harvested body parts were allegedly bought by medical training companies, who didn’t know they were illegally obtained, the New York Post said.
Tatman was hesitant to provide too many personal details, but she said her deceased grandfather was one of Hess’ victims. “You do not know what this feels like,” she wrote on Instagram, according to screengrabs shared by TM_Chatter.
In July 2022, Hess pleaded guilty to fraud and on January 3, 2023, she give the maximum prison sentence, the New York Post reported.
“I pray she sees all the pain and hurt she and her mother have caused. Our loved ones were more than just body parts,” Tatman wrote, according to screenshots posted by TM_Chatter.
“I say this with pure hate in my heart. I can NEVER forgive [her] and her mother. Do not tell me I can find peace,” Tatman continued, per screenshots posted by TM_Chatter. “You do not know what this feels like. And to spare you all the details just know, no horror movie could ever be worse than this.”
Hess’ mother, Shirley Koch, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, the Colorado Department of Justice said in a statement.
Tatman appeared on season 1 of “Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant” in 2017 but was fired before its sophomore season. She went on to marry her partner, Kyler Lopez, in September 2022. They have one child together, 5-year-old Tobias.
Tatman Called Hess and Koch ‘Monsters’
Tatman didn’t mince words when it came to her feelings about Hess and Koch, referring to them as “monsters” in her social media posts.
She offered her condolences to other people who were impacted by Hess’ crime.
“I’m sorry we are put in this. And I’m sorry that this was our experience with funeral homes. I pray we all find a way to live with this, whether that be to forgive or not,” she wrote, according to screenshots posted by TM_Chatter.
“I want you all to know… it’s okay to hurt and be angry from the things Megan and her mother have done,” she added, as shown by the screenshots obtained by TM_Chatter. “Feel your pain and work through it. I will never find it in my heart to forgive her. My hate for her will forever burn.”
A Judge Said The Crimes Were ‘Horrific and Morbid’
On the day Hess and Koch were sentenced, U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan referred to the crimes as “horrific and morbid.”
“The defendants’ conduct was horrific and morbid and driven by greed. They took advantage of numerous victims who were at their lowest point given the recent loss of a loved one. We hope these prison sentences will bring the victim’s family members some amount of peace as they move forward in the grieving process,” Finegan said, according to the press release issued by the Colorado Department of Justice. “We sincerely hope this punishment deters like-minded fraudsters in the future.”