In 2004, the quiet town of Imus, Cavite, watched as Ricardo Mendez, a 42-year-old embalmer, boarded a plane for the United States, carrying the hopes of his family for a better life.

He secured a contract with Everpace Mortuary in Ohio, promising to send dollars home to his wife, Lorna, and their three children, who struggled with poverty and went without basic necessities.

However, Ricardo was carrying a dark secret that he hoped to leave behind: a terrifying, unspeakable compulsion that would eventually resurface in America, shattering his family, his dignity, and his future.

The Allure of a Better Life

Ricardo’s background was one of necessity. He quit school early to help his father, a fellow mortician, quickly mastering the grim yet essential process of embalming.

Though he was outwardly a kind, hardworking family man, Ricardo harbored a secret that began in the closed doors of the morgue: an inability to control an indecent compulsion involving the deceased.

The opportunity to leave the Philippines came via a radio advertisement for skilled embalmers bound for the US. Ricardo saw it not just as a financial lifeline but as a chance to escape his past and start clean.

Before his departure, Ricardo repeated his dark act on a young female casualty in the local funeral home. As he left for Ohio, he held onto the desperate hope that the new environment—the clean, modern American facilities—would somehow cleanse him of his inner “animal that could not be controlled.”

Upon arriving at Everpace Mortuary in Ohio, Ricardo was praised for his efficient, quiet work. He quickly adapted to the strict protocols and was given increasing autonomy in the lab.

He used his substantial dollar earnings to fulfill his promise: Lorna soon had a proper house with a new roof and a small store—a testament to Ricardo’s financial sacrifice.

The Witness and the Cellphone

As Ricardo became comfortable, his compulsion returned. When he was left alone in the lab after hours, he would return to the female de@d, unable to resist the temptation.

He grew overconfident, unaware that his actions were being quietly observed by a new Filipino colleague, Robert Alano (32), who had recently arrived from Pampanga.

Robert, a quiet and observant worker, noticed Ricardo’s strange behavior whenever a young female body was brought into the lab.

The confrontation happened one night when Robert inadvertently disturbed Ricardo in the embalming room. Ricardo, immediately hostile, demanded to know what Robert had seen. Robert lied, claiming he saw nothing, but he knew he needed to expose the grave crime.

Robert realized he could not appeal to the management with only his word. He chose to gather undeniable proof.

One evening, while Ricardo was finalizing the paperwork for his family petition—the final step in bringing Lorna and the children to the US—he gave in to his dark compulsion.

Robert, waiting outside, pressed the record button on his cellphone. The camera recorded the entire, unspeakable indecent act.

The Sudden Collapse

The next morning, Robert bravely showed the video evidence to his supervisor, Mr. Collins, who was horrified and immediately contacted authorities.

Ricardo was arrested in the lab. He weakly protested, claiming the video was fabricated, but his supervisor’s face confirmed the truth.

The news broke immediately in local Ohio headlines: “Filipino Embalmer caught committing an indecent act against the de@d. Video evidence released.”

The tragedy unfolded simultaneously in Cavite. Lorna and the children watched the news on TV, seeing Ricardo’s mugshot and the blurred video footage. Lorna’s initial disbelief turned to profound shame and heartbreak.

She quickly realized the source of Ricardo’s high earnings and the reasons for his distant, quiet behavior over the years.

The Final Sentence of Isolation

Ricardo was stripped of his embalming license, fired from his job, and charged with desecration of a human body. All the wealth he had amassed was lost.

During his trial, he weakly confessed but claimed he did not know why he committed the crime. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

The emotional sentence came from his own family: Lorna refused all contact, moving herself and the children to Laguna. She wanted no part of the disgrace.

After serving his sentence, Ricardo was deported back to the Philippines, but his tragedy was not over. The Bureau of Immigration banned him from leaving the country for the next 10 years, and he returned to an empty home in Cavite.

The house he had built with his financial sacrifice was now occupied by strangers. His attempts to find his family failed.

Ricardo Mendez, the OFW who dreamt of giving his family a beautiful future, was left alone, facing the ultimate punishment: not the prison sentence, but the complete isolation of a life destroyed by an unforgivable, unspeakable crime.