What Being a Mortician to Homicide Victims Taught Me About Grief
Shamari Jackson, a St. Louis native, began studying mortuary science after her boyfriend was fatally shot.
Now, she works as a mortician for a Black-owned funeral home in St. Louis County, Baucom’s Life Celebration and Cremation Services, using her work as a form of therapy.
She has cared for the bodies of friends and classmates, as well as strangers, including three young men from The Marshall Project’s “Remember Me” series:
- Mario Fox
- Tyrin Williams
- Courtney Williams
“Remember Me” is an ongoing memorial to the more than 1,000 unsolved homicides in St. Louis over the last decade.
An effort to remember the victims as they were in life, and meet families in their grief.
Author's summary: Mortician Shamari Jackson shares her experience.