Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour

Episode: Inside the World of Crime Scene Cleaning | Matt Montague DSH #1357

Air Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Matt Montague (Owner, leading crime scene cleaning company CA/NV/AZ/TX)

Episode Overview

This episode plunges listeners into the raw, emotionally charged, and often dark world of crime scene cleaning. Host Sean Kelly sits down with Matt Montague, owner of the largest independent crime scene cleanup company in California, Nevada, and Arizona, to discuss the realities and psychological impact of a profession most people only glimpse through crime dramas. Over the course of an hour, Matt shares unfiltered stories, insights into trauma and mental health, the challenges of running such a business, and the human side of death that most never see.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Getting Started in Crime Scene Cleanup

• Company History & Growth

  • Matt started the business in 2010, which took years to build up. ("I kind of faked it till I made it." – Matt, 01:08)
  • Now averages about one job per day, spanning homicides, suicides, natural deaths, accidents, homeless encampments, etc.

• Nature of Work

  • Most people mistakenly assume it's all about violent crimes, but natural deaths and decomposition are a huge part ("People forget about the natural deaths… older person…deceased for two weeks, the neighbors are like, what’s that smell?" – Matt, 02:05)
  • Environmental factors (heat, burial, illness) significantly affect decomposition and cleanup complexity.

Most Gruesome & Memorable Scenes

• Dealing With Decomp & Sensory Trauma

  • "You never get used to the maggots... the smell for me, it still to this day sometimes it'll gag me." (Matt, 03:18)
  • Smell, not the visuals, remains the hardest part for Matt.

• Notorious Scene Example

  • Matt recounts a meth-induced homicide in Texas where a man, in psychosis, mutilated and cannibalized his own mother ("He cut his mother... eating her liver while he masturbated." – Matt, 08:08).
  • Such scenes are not uncommon, and the psychological impact can be severe for clean-up workers.

• Serial Killers & Hidden Crimes

  • Matt’s company has been called after multiple serial killer cases, including a man in California serving human meat from a taco cart ("They test the meat and it's human meat...it's multiple people." – Matt, 11:24)
  • Claims the public is only aware of "12% of what really happens" due to underreporting by authorities and news (12:02).

Psychological Toll and Employee Turnover

• Occupational Trauma

  • Average employee lasts 7 years before leaving due to psychological strain and PTSD ("We have an average of maybe seven years that people work for us, and… PTSD starts to come in." – Matt, 04:40)

• Gender & Job Performance

  • Matt believes women outperform men as technicians due to stronger nurturing instincts and resilience to gore ("Women make better technicians than men because they can handle more of the gruesome and the nonsense." – Matt, 09:12)

Common Deaths & Insurance Realities

• Types of Cleanups

  • Besides violent crime, many scenes involve tragic accidents, overdoses, and medical conditions (e.g., esophageal varices from alcoholism that cause people to die vomiting blood in the bathroom, 18:11).
  • Burned bodies present extreme challenges due to pervasive stench ("Comes through that suit and it gets on you like a fog." – Matt, 19:30).

• Insurance and Payment

  • Most jobs are covered by homeowner’s insurance, but coverage is declining as carriers exclude biohazard work due to high costs (14:42).
  • Only qualified, state-listed companies can perform cleanups; attrition and regulation changes have reduced the number of qualified businesses.

• Responsibility After Police Leave

  • Once law enforcement and coroner remove bodies, the traumatic residue—blood, fluids, body parts—is left behind for families to confront unless they call a professional (14:00).

Encountering Death & Mortality

• Firsthand Experience With Death

  • Matt insists direct exposure changes one’s perspective on life: "You see a lot of death, man... it's going to happen to all of us. That's the one thing that... is guaranteed." (22:20)

• Child Deaths

  • The most traumatic cleanups, for Matt, are those involving children: "That I think I struggle with the most because I'm a father... seeing kids... it is the worst thing of my job." (22:47–26:22)
  • Memorable tragic case: a child killed by a malfunctioning elevator in a wealthy home because of a $75 part not replaced (24:09).

Spirituality & Death's Aftermath

• Supernatural Experiences
  • Matt claims to have witnessed unexplained phenomena at crime scenes, possibly residual "energy" after violent deaths ("Something will turn on just out of nowhere... Just freaky, that probably shouldn’t be happening." – 20:19)
  • Both he and Sean discuss personal beliefs about afterlife, life 'replays,' and the possibility of spirits remaining at death sites.

Mental Health & Seeking Help

• Matt's Struggles

  • Developed anxiety and PTSD, leading to quitting drinking and smoking cold turkey ("My anxiety from this job just put me through the roof." – 33:20)
  • Lauds breathing techniques and therapy; has not tried psychedelics but is curious after hearing positive stories.

• Coping Mechanisms

  • Physical health suffers due to work demands; some cleans take days to weeks and workers must endure extreme heat in full hazmat gear (35:15).
  • Sean and Matt discuss the importance—but difficulty—of separating work trauma from personal life.

Business Realities & Ethics

• Industry Trends

  • Many companies drop out due to licensing, insurance, and burnout. Competition is slim among serious practitioners (16:40).

• Exit Strategies

  • Matt’s children have no interest in inheriting the business; he plans to sell in the future, possibly to a national giant (Aftermath), though insurance companies dislike such big firms for overbilling (47:01).

• Client Interactions

  • Family grief sometimes spills into Matt’s work, resulting in confrontational or emotional exchanges and even bad reviews.
  • He’s learned to value only the opinions of people he respects and not dwell on inevitable negative feedback (41:22).

Hidden Deaths in Hospitality & Public Spaces

• Las Vegas & Hotels

  • Hotel and casino deaths are covered up: "Anything else? You’re never going to hear about it. Multiple times a week. Overdoses, suicides, a lot." (49:38)
  • Companies must use unmarked vehicles and plain clothes to avoid alarming the public.

• Airports

  • Deaths in airports are similarly hushed up; overdoses are common (51:31).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Psychological Toll:
  "I think we have an average of maybe seven years that people work for us. And then it gets to the point where they’re like, ‘Okay, enough’s enough.’ They need to move on, right? Because PTSD starts to come in." — Matt (04:40)

• On The Sights and Smells:
  "You never get used to the maggots. Either you can see it but you can't smell it, or you can smell it and can't see it...for me, it still to this day, sometimes it'll gag me." — Matt (03:18)

• On Child Deaths:
  "That I think I struggle with the most because I'm a father... seeing kids... is the worst thing of my job." — Matt (22:47)

• On The Hidden Side of Society:
  "You only hear 12% of really what happens in your area anywhere... they’re not telling you everything." — Matt (11:52, 12:02)

• On the Toughest Scene:
  "He cut his mother from her neck down to the top of her vagina... and then was eating her liver while he masturbated." — Matt (08:08)

• On Working in Silence:
  "In Vegas, everybody thinks that Vegas is, like, crazy, but remember, Vegas sweeps everything under the rug... anything else? You’re never going to hear about it." — Matt (49:05)

• Advice on Business and Reviews:
  "What do I care? Those people do not make your life. Everybody else who knows you and knows who you are... they don’t care. And he’s right." — Matt, quoting his son (41:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:08 – Faking it until making it in the industry
• 03:18–03:45 – Sensory trauma: sight vs. smell
• 07:05 – The daily confrontation with death and rare survivals
• 08:08 – Most disturbing crime scene story (Texas, cannibalism)
• 11:24 – Serial killer serving human meat in tacos
• 14:00 – Responsibility for cleaning after authorities leave
• 18:11–18:44 – Esophageal varices deaths and bloody handprints
• 19:30 – Burned bodies and stench permeation
• 20:19-20:34 – Paranormal experiences at scenes
• 22:47–26:24 – The trauma of child deaths
• 29:24-30:15 – Employee reactions, passing out on scenes
• 31:18–34:42 – Matt's battles with PTSD, anxiety, quitting substances
• 35:15–36:13 – Physically demanding cleanups; duration, heat, exhaustion
• 41:22 – Learning to value select opinions, letting go of bad reviews
• 47:01 – Aftermath & industry consolidation, insurance company conflicts
• 49:05–50:25 – Vegas hotel cover-ups, operating in secrecy
• 51:28–51:48 – Hidden deaths in airports
• 53:23 – Where to find Matt and his "Dying to See Me" podcast

Tone & Language

The conversation is informal, at times graphic and darkly humorous, reflecting the grim reality of death-related occupations. Both Sean and Matt maintain blunt authenticity, refusing to sugarcoat the subject matter. Matt’s candor about trauma, business, and mortality stands out, while Sean interjects with curiosity and genuine engagement.

Conclusion

This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a crucial yet hidden industry—one that faces unimaginable horrors so others don't have to. Matt Montague and Sean Kelly tackle both the human and business side of death, from dealing with unspeakable trauma to the surprising logistical, legal, and ethical challenges of cleaning up what society often pretends not to see. The episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the realities behind crime scenes, the cost of trauma work, and the often-unseen infrastructure that holds a society together after tragedy.

Where to Find Matt:
Instagram / Podcast: @dyingtoseeme
Spotify & YouTube: "Dying To See Me"