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Matt
Is where somebody who has drank most of their life gets varicose veins on their esophagus. And eventually these varicose veins, depending on your heartburn or what you eat, will burst.
Host
Gee.
Matt
And there's nothing you can do. You're going to bleed out. And every single time we do this, there's bloody handprints on the bathroom sink like this.
Host
All right, guys, Got an interesting one for you guys today. A crime scene cleaner. Matt, thanks for coming on today, man.
Matt
Problem? No problem.
Host
Yeah. So the largest crime scene company in Cali, Vegas and Arizona, right?
Matt
Yeah. Number one in California. Number one in Vegas, Number one in Arizona, and I think like number four in Texas.
Host
Damn. That's impressive that you're able to do that many markets at the same time.
Matt
Yeah, yeah.
Host
Because obviously you're stuck in one location, right?
Matt
Yeah, mostly the California, but we do fly and go to other, other spots to get them going. They're not franchise, they're just hours.
Host
How long did it take to build this thing up, man?
Matt
2010, I believe we started. Okay, so it's been, it's been a while.
Host
15 years.
Matt
15.
Host
Did it take off right away?
Matt
No, no, you know, I, I mean, I kind of faked it till I made it. You know, I think everybody does that. And you do your first one and you bill it and you, you think, oh, man, this is, there's no way this is going to happen or this. And, and then, you know, you get your first one and then your second one comes, and then it's always, man, I, you know, I hope to do one a month. And then it goes from, man, I hope to do one every other week, you know, and then it just. Now it's every day something is happening.
Host
Damn. So you have one a day right now.
Matt
That's about average.
Host
Holy crap.
Matt
But remember, there's more than just a homicide or a suicide. There's people that die. Natural causes. People that die of natural causes in, in public areas. Right. Homeless encampments. There's. There's stillborn where there's could be just blood everywhere. There's car accidents there. I mean, there's just so many things that can happen.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
When, When I say I clean homicides and suicides, everybody thinks, oh, but they, they forget about the, the, the natural deaths that happen, too, or the decomps that happen. You know, where there's an older person who doesn't have family member that checks on them or they don't check on them as much as they should check on them. And then next thing you Know, they've been deceased for two weeks and there's a smell coming out and the. And the neighbors are like, what's that smell? Why are there flies everywhere?
Host
What's the oldest body you've seen? Decomposed.
Matt
Probably a couple months.
Host
Damn.
Matt
And it depends on what is the heat indexed? You know, is it hot outside, cool outside? You know, ones that are buried, usually, they tend to stay more. Ground is moist and cold and, and so it, it keeps, you know, preserves the body. But, you know, if you're in. In heat, I mean, it can start to liquefy within hours.
Host
Wow.
Matt
So start to really, really be bad in the summertime. It's especially out here in Vega.
Host
Oh, yeah.
Matt
Oh my God.
Host
That's when you get the maggots.
Matt
The heat. Yeah, the heat and the maggots are just the flies and. Yeah, it's bad.
Host
Did that freak you out the first time you saw those maggots?
Matt
Yeah, you know, you never get used to the maggots, you know, either. Either you can see it but you can't smell it, or you can smell it and can't see it. That's usually the trade off, right? I can see it, no problem. I can eat there. I don't have any issues. But the smell, for me, it, it still to this day, sometimes it'll gag me.
Host
Wow.
Matt
It made me throw up and.
Host
Oh yeah, I've never smelled maggots before.
Matt
It's so bad. It's like. Yeah, it's like garbage truck juice. Like, it's like it's bad.
Host
That's nasty.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
And when does the body start getting those on average?
Matt
You know, like I said, it depends on the heat index. It depends on how long have they been gone. It depends on what was going on in their body. Are they sick? Do they have any type of other illness going on? Cancer, such. Were they diabetic? Did they drink? You know, there's a sweet smell to a diabetic that has been in like ketoacidosis, for example, going to diabetic coma, that smell is a sweet. Because her blood sugar is just through the roof. So the smell of that, and then you mix that with death and it's almost like a sweet. Like a sweet. It's bad. Geez, it's pretty bad.
Host
This, this line of work must really desensitize you, right?
Matt
I mean, to a point. I, 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 they need to move on, right? Because you know, PTSD starts to come in because you all.
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Matt
You see is death. It's not like we see a good story. A good story for us is one person lived and just a few other died right Or. Or one died and few other live. But there's always going to be a death with us. It's very rare that we do get these suicides where somebody will shoot themselves under the neck and blow the front of their face off and they'll live, but for. Not for long. I mean, eventually that just adds to the problems, you know, for them, and then they. They end up killing themselves in another way.
Host
Jeez.
Matt
You know?
Host
Yeah. I'm sure you've seen some really gruesome scenes.
Matt
Really gruesome, man.
Host
What's the one that freaked you out the most?
Matt
I think that. I mean, there's so many, but I think one of the ones that we ever did was we were training in Texas, and this guy had been up on methamphetamines for a long time, and I. And he cut his mother from her neck down to the top of her vagina.
Host
Oh, my God.
Matt
And then took, like, tree cutters and cut her rib cage open and then was eating her liver while he masturbated.
Host
What?
Matt
Yeah.
Host
That's insane.
Matt
Yeah. Yeah.
Host
Oh, my God.
Matt
And then. So they arrest him. He had been high on meth so long that he just didn't know what he was doing. And so a couple of days go by, and he detoxes and. And he keeps asking for his mother. Hey, where's my mom? Let me get a phone call. I want to get bailed out. And apparently, from what I hear, he found out what he did through another inmate or something, and he hung himself down. Killed himself.
Host
Yeah. He couldn't live with it.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, you know, who. Who does that to their mother, right? No matter what kind of relationship you have, eating her liver while you masturbate is pretty savage.
Host
Dude, that's insane.
Matt
Pretty savage, man.
Host
Wow. Yeah. You probably got people quitting when they see something like that.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, it's not for the faint of heart. That's for sure. That's for sure. We have. Women actually make better technicians than men because they can handle more of the gruesome and the nonsense.
Host
Really?
Matt
Yeah.
Host
Oh, I would have assumed the opposite.
Matt
No, no, no, no. I mean, women are nurturers. This is what they do. They're. They're mothers. They're. They can clean and throw up right where we're like, you know, anytime that there's anything like that. So. No, they. They make the best. They do. They make.
Host
That's interesting.
Matt
And every time I get a. Application or somebody who talks to me on my podcast or whatever about it, usually the women are 90% more interested than the men. Yeah.
Host
Really?
Matt
Yeah. You know, they like all that crime novel and.
Host
Oh, they love that stuff. The true crime. Yeah, yeah.
Matt
Flows through their veins.
Host
I'm not into it as much.
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Matt
That's great. Except that was Aries tech. I mean, I live it so like, I don't really. It's not like I watch it, but I, I mean, you just see a lot of death, man. Yeah, the death is just so. Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy.
Host
Have you ever had a clean up after a serial killer spree or something?
Matt
Yes, multiple times. Multiple times. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there was a guy that was cutting people up. From what we understand they were. He was cutting them up and serving them in like a taco cart.
Host
Oh my gosh.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
That's insane. So, so that was in Cali.
Matt
Yeah. Parked on the side of the road and then serving these up and people were getting sick and going to the hospital and just throwing up and.
Host
Holy crap.
Matt
And they test the meat and it's, it's human meat and they're like, you know, and it's multiple people, not just one. And it's all in, in, in one area. And then apparently he goes to another area and so they, they've labeled him definitely a serial killer.
Host
That's insane.
Matt
Just nuts. So. Which you only hear 12% of really what happens in your area anywhere, even Vegas or, or Los Angeles or, you know, they're not telling you everything.
Host
Not even close.
Matt
No, no. Because there would be pandemonium with everybody be like, what? Like, I didn't know this. I didn't. You know how many times somebody will tell me I didn't know that. I'm, I didn't know this. Yeah, man. It's like it's there or they'll put it out as very minute at the bottom of the page type, you know?
Host
Right.
Matt
Like out of sight, out of mind.
Host
Yeah, they'll hide it. When I was in college there was a few deaths and yeah, they hit. They hid them pretty much.
Matt
A lot of suicides or odds.
Host
Yeah, some Adderall stuff, some drug over odds.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
But they, they hit it.
Matt
Yeah, drug o. These are real stinky too.
Host
Really?
Matt
Yeah. So I don't know if it's the body trying to push out the. Whatever it has taken in, you know, but yeah, it's.
Host
Are you in a Hazmat suit when you show up?
Matt
Oh yeah, we're in a full Tyvek suit. Respirator, Depending on, depending on what, what scene it is. You know, sometimes we'll have a self contained breathing apparatus like, like, like a scuba tank almost what comes in. Sometimes we'll have people call them gas masks, but they'll have cartridges on. Sometimes we'll have a disposable. It just depends on what is happening. Yeah.
Host
That's insane, man.
Matt
It's gnarly.
Host
Yeah. But it's needed because if no one was doing this, you know.
Matt
Yeah. So. So I. The phone calls that I get that aren't from an agency would be like, hey man, the corners left, the police left, the firemen left, and there's a pile of blood or brains or teeth or fingernails or whatever. And they just said, yeah, we'll see you later. I mean that, that's really what it is. Happens every scene. Police, police and firemen are there for an emergency, emergency's done, body's gone, everybody's out. They're not there to be a molly maid service. They're not there to clean it up.
Host
Right. They just got to remove the body.
Matt
Just remove it and, and whatever is smaller than two fists is left. So like I said, fingers, eyeballs, teeth, blood, guts, intestines, all that is left. So you can't just pick it up and throw it away because there's airborne pathogens, there's bloodborne pathogens, there's all kind. You don't know what this person died of. There's so much things that you can get sick from, but they leave it. So then we have to come in and you know, we bill the homeowners insurance, which covers it. Usually 90% of of our work is insurance work.
Host
Wow. So if you pass away in your house, the homeowner's insurance has to cover that, correct?
Matt
Yep. Yeah, it's built into your, your policy. It'd be like a flood or like, like if your house floods, your homeowner's insurance covers it, it falls under that umbrella. Except for it would be a bloodborne pathogen. Now what they're starting to do is exclude that.
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Matt
On policies. Because it can be very expensive for us to come in and clean up Biohazard. It's not like water, you know.
Host
Yeah, there's not many people that could do what you do.
Matt
Yeah, I mean there's only a few companies. You know, I think in California you have to be on what they call a crime scene practitioners list to do this and there was like 600 numbers on there, but they just revised the list and I think it's down to like 250 actual companies.
Host
Wow. They got rid of a lot. I wonder what happened.
Matt
Well, companies that just don't do it on a regular, they don't keep up the certifications, they don't keep up the insurances, they don't keep up a lot, you know, so they end up finding something else that's more lucrative in, in the field, you know, and they, they stick to that.
Host
Yeah. And your county, L.A. county, there's a lot of deaths every day, right?
Matt
Yeah, it's like, I think it's like 12, 1266 deaths a day, I believe.
Host
Which is crazy when you think about it.
Matt
266 people a day. Now, that's stillbirths. That's hospital deaths, car accidents, homicides, suicides. That could be people that die in homeless encampments. These are terrorist attacks. These are just all generic into death. So however somebody could die. Industrial accidents. We did, I think a week ago. We had a guy die on a freeway. A concrete mover ran over his leg, and it ran it up so high that they couldn't get a tourniquet onto it right away. And he just.
Host
Oh, my gosh, Sounds terrible.
Matt
Yeah, I mean, you know. You know you're dying. There's nothing that can. That can save you at that point.
Host
That's nuts. You just got to accept it, right?
Matt
Yeah.
Host
Wow.
Matt
There's another death that we do that is where somebody who has drank most of their life gets varicose veins on their esophagus. And eventually these varicose veins, depending on your heartburn or what you eat, will burst.
Host
Geez.
Matt
And there's nothing you can do. You're going to bleed out. And every single time we do this, there's bloody handprints on the bathroom sink like this. And they're looking into the mirror like. And they're as. They're throwing up blood because it's just constant blood. You're bleeding out. Like you hit a main artery, but you're bleeding out through your mouth or your rectum.
Host
Oh, my God.
Matt
Just coming out. So they look in the mirror and it's like, I know I'm dying. And they just look at themselves. And then finally they go, but everyone I've been to have bloody handprints like that.
Host
Like, dude.
Matt
Holy.
Host
That's got to be one of the worst ways to go out.
Matt
I think so. Because you're suffocating on your own blood and you're drowning and you're. And you're bleeding to death.
Host
It's like a slow, like, painful death, right?
Matt
Oh, I. I think drowning or burning man. Burning is.
Host
Yeah, burning's gotta hurt the most.
Matt
I'd imagine it's gotta be on the top 10.
Host
Dude, have you had any bodies burnt?
Matt
Yeah. I mean, that smells pretty. Pretty intense.
Host
Yeah, I bet.
Matt
Gets in your. In your hair, even through the suits. You know, you'll. Sometimes you have to. You have to take your clothes off in your garage.
Host
Wow.
Matt
There's times that I've. I've had it in my clothes and I've taken them off in my garage, and it'll start to make my garage smell. I just throw them away. Damn.
Host
I just gotta get that strong Sad burning flesh.
Matt
Burning flesh. And even some dead bodies. Yeah. Even sometimes it just, it comes through that suit and it, it gets on you like a fog. Like you'll have to wash your hair and you have to, it's, it gets in your eyebrows. It's, it's miserable. The stench is just so bad.
Host
Yeah. I wonder how morgues and funeral homes deal with the smell.
Matt
Yeah, I mean they, they, they, they have a powder that you can use. We use tea bags or coffee grounds in our, in our masks. But it's still, you're going to, it just, it's kind of like putting a Glade plug in. Right. It's, it's going to mask the smell a little bit. But you're still going to smell it.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
Damn. That's nuts, man. Do you believe in the spiritual side of things too? Like ghosts and spirits?
Matt
Yeah, I, I, yeah, man. I believe that I've been, I, I believe I've been on scenes where funky has kind of happened. You know, like something will turn on just out of nowhere or you know, one of our machines will just turn off and turn on and turn off and turn on and just freaky. That probably shouldn't be happening.
Host
Yeah. Because if you're at a murder scene or crime scene, there's probably some high energy going on there, right?
Matt
Yeah. I mean. Yeah. You got to figure. Well, by the time we get there is 12 to 24 hours after it's happened. But, but you have to figure 12 to 24 hours before that there was just, just massive crazy fight, let's just say in there.
Host
Right.
Matt
You know, so some of that energy could still be there. You believe in.
Host
I do, yeah.
Matt
I believe in ghost spirits.
Host
I don't know what to call it, but yeah, whatever. Like people have different labels. I think there's another realm.
Matt
Sure.
Host
Where when you die, you know, you're still kind of there.
Matt
Yeah. They say it's a seven minute. Once you die. I've heard this from, from many people that when you die there's like a seven minute. We'll just call it a replay. I don't know if it's looking over your life, looking over, maybe looking over your life, maybe looking over at your loved ones. I don't know. But there's seven minutes of just like, you know.
Host
Yeah. But no, I've heard that from near death experiences. There's a book on it. Yeah. Where like a thousand people all reported that. A life replay.
Matt
Wow.
Host
Interesting, right?
Matt
I mean, imagine you're just your whole life, like just. But is It a mind like, like you did this wrong, so. And now you're dead. You can't fix it.
Host
It'd be a, that would suck. Right.
Matt
It'd be miserable.
Host
Dying with regrets. That's why I try. Even though I'm, you know, fairly young, I still try to live with no regrets.
Matt
I mean, you have to live your life like it's your last day. You, you have to. And it doesn't mean you have to go out and, and do blow and, and Right. Like it not. Nothing crazy like that, but like, you know, we're not promised tomorrow. I have seen a lot of death and it's going to happen to all of us. That's the one thing that you know is guaranteed in life is death.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And you, you need to, you need to be prepared when it's your time.
Host
Yeah. Because you've probably seen some young people pass away.
Matt
I mean that's the part of me that, that I think I struggle with the most because I'm a father.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And seeing kids get up is just.
Host
Gotta be the, probably the worst because they're so innocent.
Matt
Yeah. There's no, there's no. What, what did they do? What. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't know. I just don't. I just don't. I just don't. It's. It's a deal.
Host
Man, that would be hard. I can't even picture a young boy or girl just seeing that.
Matt
Yeah, we, we did a house in Calabasas, Hidden Hills, which is in the Calabasas area, but.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Where a lot of predominant people live. I think, I think the Kardashians live in Hidden Hills and, and, and a few other people. Anyway, we did a, we did a house in, in Hidden Hills and they had an elevator in there. It went up three stories, up and down. Elevators have, it's a safety switch in there and basically when the doors open, it stops the elevator and then that way the doors can shut and nothing gets caught up up top. Nothing gets caught on the bottom.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And this, this safety switch that was like 75 bucks went out, so. Safety switch goes out and it's like 75 bucks. And they're like, no, we'll just, we'll just do this, do that, whatever it is. So we, we go and hear these two little legs sticking out because this, this, this elevator had come down, smashed this kid.
Host
Oh my gosh.
Matt
Killed this kid like 75. Do you live in a, probably a 6, 7 million dollar home?
Host
That's crazy.
Matt
Like you have an elevator in your home, you could afford 75 bucks, right. I mean, nuts. So, so now the parents who will probably not survive their marriage, right? Because I think it's like 89% of people that have a child died end up getting divorced. Wow.
Host
I didn't know that.
Matt
Yeah, it's a crazy.
Host
Yeah. Because they probably blame each other, right?
Matt
Yeah. Well, you blame and you never get over that. Right. And then here's another thing. The other children will always be affected because the child that died is always going to be here. Put on this pedestal where these other children don't really get the. I mean they still get love from their parents, but not like, not the same focus that you know where a living person is. And they take. I think, I think the parents didn't take for granted the kids that are still living because everybody wants to know why, why, why did they go what happened? And you focus so much on that and everybody does it, right. It happens even in a breakup, like, what the fuck did I do? What do we. What, what, what, what, what? And you focus on that. You know, a couple months go by, you're, you're okay with the death of a child. I mean that could go on for a long time. Go on for a lifetime.
Host
Yeah, most. I'd say most people probably can't recover from something like that.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, and, and, and they never fully recover and they, I don't think they're ever going to be the same either.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
You know, it's. Something with them is going to change.
Host
Yeah. That would mess me up, dude. Yeah.
Matt
Can you imagine? I mean, how old are you?
Host
28. Yeah, I'm about to have kids soon, get married this year.
Matt
You imagine like it'd be gnarly, dude. Like just, you're like, fuck, man. It's, it's, it's a, it's a. That's one of the worst. It is the worst thing of, of my job is to, is to see a child or any type of person under the age of 18. Not that when you're hit 18, it's like, it's better. But I think it, you cope a little bit better. You, you know, from my standpoint, I can cope better with an 18 year old than I can a 10 year old.
Host
Yeah. Because they've lived some life. It's, it's not like. Yeah, like 10, you haven't lived at all. Really.
Matt
Yeah. I mean you, yeah, you haven't done much. You haven't done much. You know, and I think people take that for granted, you know, so, you know, everybody is so worried about this and that and this and that. You know, do what makes you happy.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Because you're not promised tomorrow.
Host
No. 100.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
It's. Time flies, man.
Matt
Dude, I mean, I mean, think about it. 10 years ago you were 18.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Just out of high school. Right. And now you're doing all this in just 10 short.
Host
I know. My reunion is this year. 10 year reunion. I can't believe it.
Matt
I mean, it's crazy, right?
Host
I got so many members from high school, it feels like yesterday.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
And.
Matt
And I'm sure you're just like, what the. Like, how did it even become this? And now like you said, you're about to have kids and marriage and you're about to be 30 and next thing you know you're going to be 40 and 50. You're like, where did this go?
Host
Yeah.
Matt
You know, I wish I would have done this. I wish I would have done that. Even me, who lives like that. I, I mean, I do. I live my life is, is day by day as possible and like it. No regrets. But there's even times where I'm like, man, I'm be 50 this year. Like, what happened?
Host
Damn.
Matt
Where am I at?
Host
Yeah. Like, holy crazy.
Matt
Yeah, man.
Host
Has your view on death changed since starting this line of work?
Matt
Yeah, I mean, in the beginning I was just more of. I was more of a. This is a paycheck. Let's get it going. I would eat at the scene because.
Host
That'S crazy to me.
Matt
I could care less. And now I think it's like, oh, dude, I see so much. In fact, I've. I've gotten to the point now where I try not to go to scenes anymore because it has. I think, I think I got some PTSD from it.
Host
I mean, you definitely have. There's no way you don't.
Matt
Yeah, it's just, it's with my head quite a bit, so I, I try to stay away from it. I have a, A good business partner, this. That. When I started the company, he came on shortly after and, and you know, worked out a little deal and he. And David is, He's an amazing dude and he, he takes care of a lot of that, knowing what I have to go through. And so because of that, you know, I, I owe a lot to David too, because without David, he. I don't think we'd be doing as, as well as we are either, you know.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And I buy little smaller companies that, you know, when they pop up, I try to buy them and you know, People that. That. That have some coming, but they're not. They're not doing as the volume that we're doing, you know, Because a lot of people think they can do this business. A lot. A lot of people, they can do. They can do this job. And then they get there and they hold their first eyeball, and it sets into reality. I've had people faint, throw up, pass out, you know, and I'm out of shape. I don't want to be carrying you like a firefighter. And then I'm out of breath, and I'm. I'm. I'm discombobulated, and I'm. I'm having to drink water, and I'm irritated. I'm like, this sucks. Yeah.
Host
Damn. You actually had someone, like, pass out on.
Matt
Oh, yeah. Yeah. One of my first. First jobs is. Guy walks in and he's like, I could do it. I. I've seen this in the streets and that in the streets. We get in there and he starts doing this, and I'm like, don't. Don't you pass out. I swear, I. He's a big dude, and he did. He passed out. Dragging him and dragging him. And I'm out of breath, and I'm. I get outside and I'm throwing up because I'm out of breath. And you're in the suits, so. In the suits. It's 22 degrees hotter in the suits.
Host
Holy crap.
Matt
Yeah. And you're sweating, and, you know, you're. You have a respirator on, so you're not getting as much oxygen either. I mean, it's. It's miserable.
Host
I see. Must have been something else for street guy to throw up like that or pass out like that.
Matt
And then. And then you're. You're. You're. You know, your deodorant starts to wear off, so now you're musty, and you're in the suit, and you're just. You're like, dude, enough. Dude, like, enough, you know?
Host
Yeah.
Matt
So I don't think that scene was that bad. It was a. It was a homicide or it was a. This guy tried to kill his wife, and she ended up living, and he ended up shooting and killing himself and blood everywhere.
Host
He had chased her all over, and he shot himself.
Matt
Shot himself? Yeah.
Host
Yeah, he was.
Matt
He was. He was a cop, too.
Host
Jeez.
Matt
He's a correctional officer. And they. He fudgeing. Smoked himself.
Host
Oh, my God.
Matt
After. After shooting his old lady.
Host
Do you think your PTSD was a compilation of all the scenes or was it specific ones that really I just.
Matt
Think it was a. A compilation of everything, man. I mean, you see all this and these kids and this and that, and you're like, dude, you know?
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And. And you know, there's other too. There's, there's, there's my natural life that happens. You know what I'm saying? So you got natural life going on, right? Plus all this other shit. So. So yeah, it's. It's a compilation, but I think that the scenes are for sure did it.
Host
Have you found any methods on kind of healing that or helping in any way? Psychedelics. Have you tried those?
Matt
So I'm sober, I don't drink. I don't. I don't do any drugs. I don't do any of that because I like to be in control.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
But a lot of people have been telling me that I need to micro dose mushrooms.
Host
Yeah, that it is.
Matt
Does wonders for ptsd. And actually a buddy of mine, Billy, that used to work for the ufc, him and Dana swear by, you know, micro dosing for PTSD really, really does help. But I'm nervous that I'm on a bad trip and.
Host
You can't have a bad trip on a microdose.
Matt
No, no, for sure.
Host
I mean, I've never heard of it. I've met hundreds of people that microdose. I microdose. You could probably have like weird feelings. But if in order to have a bad trip, you have to be hallucina training, you have to be on a full dose.
Matt
So micro dosing is just a small dose and.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
So what does it do?
Host
You're taking 1/10 of an actual dose.
Matt
Okay.
Host
So you still get like a little like. It's hard to explain, but you're not seeing anything, you're not hallucinating.
Matt
So what is exactly does it do then?
Host
Just rewires your brain? I don't know the exact science behind.
Sponsor
It, to be honest.
Host
There's more better people that can explain that.
Matt
Do you feel like what you take it for, whatever it is, that it helps? That specific.
Host
Yeah, I take it for productivity and if I need like just inspiration.
Matt
Gotcha.
Host
So I'll take it like maybe once a month.
Matt
Okay.
Host
I know some people take it every day, some people take it once a week. Not they're dealing with more major issues like ptsd, anxiety, depression. So.
Matt
Yeah. Yeah.
Host
Well, I have done a full dose too, and that pretty much cured my mental issues.
Matt
Really?
Host
In Amsterdam, where it's legal. Yeah.
Matt
No.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
So you went to Amsterdam.
Host
That wasn't the main intention. We were just there I was young, stupid, and you could walk in and buy it.
Matt
Sure, sure.
Host
Yeah. But it helped a lot with my mental health. No, I don't have any anxiety anymore actually.
Matt
Yeah, that, I mean, I, I, that's why I quit drinking and everything else because my anxiety from this job is just put me through the roof.
Host
Oh, I bet.
Matt
You know, where I'm just like on edge.
Host
Yeah. Drinking probably makes it way worse.
Matt
Oh, it's so bad. Yeah, it's so bad. And then, you know, my, my, my younger brother was killed.
Host
Damn.
Matt
Murdered. So I had that going on. You know, my relationship with my mother wasn't the greatest. My relationship with baby mothers weren't the greatest. I mean it just, it was fucking piling up pile. Then I started doing this job and the next thing you know I'm fucking everybody that even looks at me in a different way. I think they're, fuck, they want to kill me. You know what I mean? Like, it's just weird.
Host
So you were paranoid?
Matt
Paranoid for sure. Well, not, yeah, something like that, but more anxiety. Just fucking heart palpitations. Just like, fuck, I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going die. And I was going to the hospital and they're like, dude, there's nothing wrong with you. What the is wrong with. Yeah, your heart's fine. Like you need to chill, man. And, and so I went to therapist and I, I did this and I did that and I quit drinking and smoking on the same day. Cold turkey. No meetings, no nothing. And that helped by 80%, to be honest with you. Um, you know, and then I was able to start slow breathing in through my nose, out through my mouth, counting. So I got it pretty well under control at this point. But it's not like it's not perfect, I can tell you that. It's. It's still, there's still. But I would definitely try microdosing if. But it just makes me nervous.
Host
Yeah, I could feel that. There's a lot of relation with physical health and mental health too.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
So if your physical like health is terrible, like there's a good chance your mental health.
Matt
Yeah, I eat like, I eat horrible.
Host
Yeah. So that probably I'm also, when you're.
Matt
At a crime scene, it's not like you can just bring your lunch. Right? Right. It's. Yeah.
Host
Cuz it takes a full day to clean up, right?
Matt
Oh, it could take weeks to clean.
Host
Weeks.
Matt
Weeks.
Host
Holy crap.
Matt
Weeks.
Host
Damn.
Matt
I mean, it depends. It's so you can only per OSHA regulations, you can Only be in these suits for depending on the temperature outside. But, but the longest you want to be in those suits is 50 hour or 50 minutes. So, so you have to come out of the suits, you have to hydrate, you have to take a 15 minute break, you got to cool down, let the body re, make sure everything is good. You don't want your kidneys to start failing. Right. And so the hotter it is outside, the less time you can be in the suits. So at variables, in the wintertime, you stay a little bit longer. We usually do about an hour in the suits, but in the, in the summertime, 30 to 45 minutes.
Host
Damn. Yeah, it's like a sauna in there.
Matt
Yeah, it's. And then you got these latex gloves on and they're doubled up, right? And we got booties on and you know, you'll peel your gloves off and it's just, it's just a full glass of water coming out.
Host
Holy crap, you're sweating that much.
Matt
Oh, you're sweating bad.
Host
Damn.
Matt
Bad, bad. Yeah.
Host
I wonder if they can invent something more efficient. But it'd be tough.
Matt
It'd be tough, man. Those latex gloves are, they're, they're so bad. You're so bad.
Host
Holy crap.
Matt
I mean, you sweat and, and the suit doesn't make, you know, because we put them underneath. And then it's taped up. And it's taped up so there's no way of air getting in at all.
Host
Damn.
Matt
And then you have this respirator and it slows down your breathing. And so it's, it's tough. Jeez, it is tough.
Host
You mentioned agencies earlier. So you're getting calls from agencies to clean these up sometimes.
Matt
So each county is different. Right. So LA county, it is against the law for any agency you to give you work. And the reason is, is that let's say the coroner's office says, here you go, this is who we recommend. And we do something that is unethical or we do something that is not up to par, whatever, mistakes happen. Right? Yeah. LA county corner does not want to be responsible for what a private company does. It's cover your ass. Right, we get it. So in those types of counties, they will hand them a paper with a list of five, five different companies on there and they'll go, here's a list of companies that we known throughout. Or you can look on the California crime scene practitioner list and go from there. And then they'll pick and choose.
Host
Oh, got it.
Matt
You know, depending on your SEO and where you're at, you know, Google is your. Your best bet. People use Google a lot. Word of mouth is also, you know, pretty good. So Yelp, which sounds crazy that people go on Yelp, but they do.
Host
They go on Yelp for this. That's crazy. I go on Yelp for restaurant reviews.
Matt
Yeah, yeah. They go. They go on Yelp and. And they leave. I mean, every business has. Every business in the world has good reviews and bad reviews. Everyone.
Host
Facts.
Matt
Just some have more. I have a really good. I think it's 4.9, which is probably the highest you can get. I got one or two bad reviews.
Host
You can't please everyone.
Matt
No. And remember, a loved one just died, so you're not in your right state of mind. There might be things that I've told you and you have just missed it.
Host
Right.
Matt
And then you're like, fuck. I don't remember you saying that. Well, listen, I've been doing this a long time. I'm not gonna lie to you. This is what it is, you know? But, yeah, I mean, you know, and then there's times that we. I got a bad review from a guy, that. His wife was killed by her boyfriend.
Host
Damn.
Matt
So. So it was his wife. They were. They were estranged.
Host
Oh, okay.
Matt
So it was. His wife was dating a new guy, and the guy beat her with a hammer in front of his kids.
Host
What?
Matt
And the guy was a pedophile. So the husband said, can I ask you a question? And I said, sure. He goes, you know, am I a bad father for allowing my kids to be around that guy? And I said, you do not want me to answer that question. Let's just move on to, you know, what we're doing here. No, no, I need to hear this. Are you a father? I am. Okay. At the time, I was married. Are you married? Yes. Okay. What would you have done? I said, I would never allow a child molester to be around my kids.
Host
So he was on the list, like, the child offender list?
Matt
Yeah.
Host
And he knew that, and he knew it.
Matt
So I said. So he says, so you're saying it's my fault? And I go, you asked me a question. I'm telling you this. I would never allow that. And you. Your kids, I hope. I hope this happens to you. I mean, just lost his. And I go, well, again. And. And. And he's just. Just jamming at me and jamming at me and your kids, and I can't. I'll kill them, too. I mean, just. And I said, it's no wonder that your old lady got beat by A pedophile, just, you know, just to dig it in. So I got a bad review for that, and I'll accept that. You know, I shouldn't have said that.
Host
But it got personal with that one.
Matt
Yeah. You start threatening my kids, what do you think is going to happen? Right. You poke the bear so many times, it's going to happen. Everybody has a breaking point. You do, too. I mean, you're the most mellow probably.
Host
Dude, I got a point.
Matt
Yeah, but you got a point, too, right?
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Somebody keeps poking and poking you.
Host
It's hard to get me angry, though, I'll say that.
Matt
But you. But you have.
Host
I do have a tipping point. Yeah.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
I'm sure. If you threaten someone I really care about.
Matt
Sure. Right. You said you're about to get married. Somebody threatens your. Your fiance, you're going to lose. You lose your shit. Like, you know, at that point, you go into. It doesn't matter how big they are, how bad they are, Fight or flight. Yeah. You're gonna do what you have to do.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
You know, and. Or die trying. Right?
Host
Yeah. So bad reviews aren't avoidable. I used to stress over them, but I did, too. You literally can't please everyone. You could have the best service or product.
Matt
Yeah.
Host
You just can't do it, man.
Matt
And, you know, somebody. Somebody gave me some advice one time, and he says, it's actually my son. My son is 23 years old. He's got a master's degree in psychology. And he says to me, dad, look, you're so worried about these two bad reviews, like, you want to. Because I asked him, should I go back and say my side of it? And he's like, for what? Like, for what? All you're doing is rehashing it. These are years ago. You're just rehashing it. You're rehashing old wounds for them, too. Leave it alone. And so since he told me that, he's like, what do you care? Like, what do you care? Those people do not make your life. Everybody else who knows you and knows who you are and the kind of man you are and the kind of father you are, they don't care. And he's right.
Host
Right.
Matt
What do I care? So I live by that.
Host
I love that. Yeah. I really only value opinions of people I respect or care about.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, I'll listen to them. I think it's important to listen to. I think it's important to listen to everybody's side of opinion because there's things that, you know, learning every day. Is important.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
When you stop learning and you think you're a know it all, that's. That can become.
Host
Yeah. You know, I see that battle with a lot of successful people with their ego.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, you think because you've made 3, 4, 5, 6, $10 million, that you can stop learning. I've seen people lose 10, $20 million. I mean, big athlete, look at them same. Right. Just lose millions and you go, how in the did you lose? You know what I mean? Like it beneath. It's, it's, it boggles my mind, but it also boggles my mind how somebody could be a heroin addict. But it happens, you know, so. Yeah, I get it.
Host
I guess it used to really boggle my mind when I see people lose money like that, but now that I'm getting closer and actually hearing their perspective on the podcast, it's like, yeah, that could happen to almost anyone. You know, a divorce here or there and then a bad financial investment, you know, you can get wrecked.
Matt
One bad financial investment is, can ruin you.
Host
Yeah, I've, I've lost. So I've lost my money twice now and I'm only 28, so it's like, damn, I got some. I'm glad I got that perspective. Cuz some people that never happens to until they're like 40 and they got kids.
Matt
But you needed that, right?
Host
Oh, I needed it.
Matt
You needed.
Host
I was making millions and cocky.
Matt
Right, Right.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And just thought you were just untouchable.
Host
Untouchable.
Matt
And then you lost it and you're.
Host
Like, yeah, and I lost it because of my own mistake. That's the thing. It wasn't like I randomly lost it, it was my fault. So you got to take accountability for it too.
Matt
And, and do you. Do, do you. Did you. You feel like you learned from that?
Host
Oh, yeah. I'm so careful with what I invest in now. I just made some really stupid investments. I got really emotional with some of them and nah, you can't do that.
Matt
I'm glad you said it because that was, that's the biggest thing is there's no emotion in an investment. Yeah, take. You have to take the emotion out of it.
Host
You have to.
Matt
If you don't, you're, you're. Yeah.
Host
And that's why I keep friendships and investments separate now.
Matt
It's mandatory.
Host
I've lost some friends, so I mean it.
Matt
My son and I, we had this conversation and he would say to me, why do you loan this person 50 bucks when you know they're not going to pay you back? I said, because that person will duck and dodge me for 50 bucks forever. And I never have to worry about this person asking me again for shit. It was worth, for me, it was worth to lose the 50 bucks, right? Because you kind of know where people are. Because I've had people come to me and want me to invest in this hair brain thing and I'm like, no. Oh, you're different because now you've made money and you're, you're, you know, oh, money's changed you. And it's like, no, I just don't want to invest in that. Like that's crazy. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, if it's that great of an idea, draw me up a business proposal. Let me read it. Well, why. I'm just telling you. No, no, do it right. This is what a bank would want to see if you were going to go in, right, and ask for a loan. And they, and it's like, but you're not a bank. Well then why are you asking me for a loan, you know, or invest in and you know, one of your hair brain, you know, whataburgers.
Host
So, yeah, they never drop the plan once you ask for it.
Matt
I've never had, I've, I've never had a person when I say, hey man, draw it up, let's do it, check it out. Never had. Never with a business plan. Never. Not one time. But if you're not willing to put in the weeks and hours and days that it takes to drop a business proposal, what the fuck do I want to get into business with you?
Host
Facts.
Matt
Long term business. Out of here.
Host
You plan on transferring this to your son one day? Are you gonna sell it before then?
Matt
He doesn't want it.
Host
Why?
Matt
None of my kids want.
Host
Did you ask them why?
Matt
I've asked every one of them and they're just not into any of it. They don't want any part of the death. The. They don't, they just don't want it. So I'll probably end up selling it as a, as a, as a, as a whole or piecing out each office? Yeah, but I'd like to sell it as a whole one day, you know, eventually. Or David can take it.
Host
Is there like a big nationwide company that does this? That would buy this?
Matt
Yeah. So Aftermath is the biggest. They're the Walmart of this. The issue is, is that they are not well liked with the insurance companies because of their billing practices. They throw a lot of red flags. In fact, I have been asked multiple times by insurance companies to review their bills.
Host
Really?
Matt
Yeah. And they pay me to do that.
Host
So they just over inflate numbers or.
Matt
Big time.
Host
Damn.
Matt
Big.
Host
That's not cool.
Matt
I mean, I think they feel like cuz insurance is big money, right? They can.
Host
That's true too. Yeah. It's both sides of the story, right?
Matt
Yeah. But you know, you got to look at it, right? Insurance is, is a, is a scam.
Host
Pretty much, yeah. The more I get older, the more.
Matt
I realize the minute that you try to use your homeowner's insurance, it's a act of Congress to get something to do.
Host
Yeah. You got to fight for it.
Matt
But they want their payment, you know. And then you have a somebody die in your home, which is like usually not. Not the fault of your own.
Host
Right.
Matt
And then it's like it's. It's jumping through hoops to get these people.
Host
I had to fight when my car got broken into.
Matt
Yeah, Right.
Host
I had to fight with lemonade.
Matt
Talking about, you know, a window and a few whatever personal items you had in there, whatever. And they, they don't want to do it.
Host
No.
Matt
Pay for it.
Host
They actually. Dude, they're starting to do this. They stalk your social media. Isn't that crazy?
Matt
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Host
So my car got broken into, right. They were stalking my social media to see if I was using the car for business because it was personal insurance. Personal commercial insurance. So they found. I posted one time I was transporting like sports cards in my car.
Matt
Right.
Host
So I didn't get the full claim because of that. Isn't that crazy?
Matt
I think that they are going to. In. So in California, a lot of insurance companies have moved out of California and stopped covering anybody or anything. In California.
Host
Yeah. After the fires. Right.
Matt
Even before the fires, they, they just pretty much told them now you take us to court.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
And then, you know, you're wrapped up in court for four or five years before you get anything. Meanwhile, the property is empty. Your personal property is gone. You have nothing.
Host
Damn. So that's probably making your, your job really hard, right?
Matt
I mean. Yeah. It, you know. Yes.
Host
Cali's your biggest market, right?
Matt
Cali's my number one market for sure. Damn sure. You know, Vegas, everybody thinks that Vegas is like crazy. But remember, Vegas sweeps everything under the rug, right? Like where LA county gets 12%, you guys probably get 6 if you're lucky. All the people that die in hotels, we sign nine NDAs, right. We can't discuss the. Any hotel that anybody dies in at any time that is not national news. Like you Know the, the, the Route 66 or Route 91. Like, of course that was televised. Anything else? You're never going to hear about it.
Host
I've never seen a single news article about a Vegas hotel death.
Matt
Of course not.
Host
And I know it's happening.
Matt
And multiple times a week.
Host
Yeah, there's a lot of overdoses, suicides.
Matt
A lot.
Host
That's why they removed balconies. People were jumping off.
Matt
That's right. Because what they do is people are like, well, this is my last hurrah. I'm gonna go to Vegas and get some blow and some hookers and then I'm gonna. I'm gonna check out. Happens all the time.
Host
Damn.
Matt
But they don't. They. You'll never hear about it.
Host
Never.
Matt
No. No, because then it, then it, it deters people from coming to the hotel.
Host
Yeah. It ruins business.
Matt
Death is bad. Nobody wants to. Nobody wants to know, you know, if somebody died, drowned in your pool, this, that. No.
Host
Yeah.
Matt
Close that whole floor off. Get a company in there, get it back to normal before you even know.
Host
Damn. They'll close the whole floor.
Matt
Well, maybe a section, but. Yeah, they don't want anybody on there.
Host
Wow.
Matt
While we're on there, they'll close it all down. They want us to come in, all plane vehicles, pull around the back because most of our trucks have crime scene cleaner across.
Host
Oh, yeah, you got to remove that flashing light.
Matt
Well, we have. We have vehicles that are just plain for that reason.
Host
And you can't even wear shirts or. Wow. And you come at night time when everyone's sleeping.
Matt
Depends. But yeah, I mean, we'll come in. In regular, regular clothes and, you know, we're run up service elevators and. Yeah.
Host
Damn. How do you take the body down without people seeing?
Matt
No, we don't touch the body.
Host
It's the corner. Oh, got it.
Matt
Corner. Touch the body. We just take the parts or the, the remnants of what was left.
Host
Got it.
Matt
Yeah. So we take it down. We have a, like a 96 gallon trash can. Right. You put out in front of your yard, we have those, and they're red, which equals biohazard. Take those down service elevators where nobody else is. And. Oh yeah, they. They're not gonna, they're not gonna take a.
Host
That's enough.
Matt
And you know what else does that too, is airports do that a lot.
Host
Really? People die at airports.
Matt
Airports all the time.
Host
Wow.
Matt
These a lot.
Host
I did not expect that.
Matt
Yep.
Host
OD's at airports. I wonder why they're doing it at the airport.
Matt
I think people get anxiety or, you know, and able to fly. They need to. Whatever it is. I. I'm just guessing, right?
Host
Yeah.
Matt
I don't like to fly, but I have to. I have to take a. Anti anxiety medication.
Host
Really?
Matt
Like. Oh, it freaks me out.
Host
Damn. Especially these days, right?
Matt
Yeah.
Host
Right.
Matt
I mean, what was there, 82 crashes since 2025 started? 82.
Host
Crazy.
Matt
That's like the. The most in FAA history.
Host
And I hate to say it, but I feel like it's only going to.
Matt
Get worse because I mean, These planes are 30 years old, right. They're being maintained as well. They're, you know, look, look at the job market, right? Where kids these days don't give a fuck, right, about what they do. What makes it any different? Building airplanes or.
Host
Well, they rushed a lot of them building cars, even the newer ones. I'm not even like faithful in those.
Matt
Yeah, I mean, the private jets, right? All that, you think, oh, private jet. Way safer. Technically it's not. Yeah, actually kind of worse.
Host
I try to drive everywhere. I just drove the Sedona, it was like five hours. But I'd rather do that than fly there.
Matt
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, you can do it at your own pace. You could just. Just chill, enjoy the ride, you know, depending. Depending on who you're with.
Host
Yeah, yeah.
Matt
Folks, all that matters.
Host
Dude, it's been. Been fun where people watch you watch your podcast and keep up with you, man.
Matt
Yeah, dying to see me is my Instagram and my podcast. I kind of quit doing shows for about six months. I had. My mom passed away. I had just a bunch of life happening. But I just got my studio built. I was talking to you about it. Yeah, it's my own studio. I own the property. I own everything. So now I don't have to jump around because it's. It's a lot. But yeah, dying to see me on Instagram and Spotify and YouTube and all that stuff. You can find me on there and yeah, we'll have to get you to come on there and. Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna be out here too, doing some filming. So.
Host
Yeah, we'll line it up, man. Thanks for coming on today. That was fun.
Matt
Thanks for having me.
Host
Yeah, check them out, guys. Check out the pod.
Sponsor
See you guys next time.
Digital Social Hour: Inside the World of Crime Scene Cleaning | Matt Montague DSH #1357
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Matt Montague, Owner of the Largest Crime Scene Cleaning Company in California, Las Vegas, and Arizona
Release Date: April 29, 2025
In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly welcomes Matt Montague, the owner of the leading crime scene cleaning company operating in California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and ranking fourth in Texas. Matt shares insights into building his business from the ground up since its inception in 2010.
Notable Quote:
Matt (01:05): “I kind of faked it till I made it. You know, I think everybody does that.”
Matt discusses the wide array of cases his company handles, extending beyond homicides and suicides to include natural deaths, industrial accidents, and incidents in public areas like homeless encampments.
Notable Quote:
Matt (02:05): “When I say I clean homicides and suicides, everybody thinks, oh, but they forget about the natural deaths that happen too.”
The episode delves into the challenges of dealing with decomposed bodies, especially in varying climates. Matt recounts encountering bodies decomposed for up to several months, depending on environmental conditions.
Notable Quote:
Matt (02:39): “The body starts to liquefy within hours in the heat. It can start to really be bad in the summertime.”
Matt opens up about the psychological impact of his work, including desensitization and the onset of PTSD after years in the field. He emphasizes the emotional strain of witnessing traumatic scenes, particularly those involving children.
Notable Quote:
Matt (05:00): “I think PTSD starts to come in because you... we have an average of maybe seven years that people work for us.”
Several harrowing cases are shared, including a methamphetamine-induced murder where a perpetrator mutilated his mother and ultimately took his own life, and incidents involving serial killers serving human meat in taco carts.
Notable Quote:
Matt (07:36): “He was eating her liver while he masturbated. Pretty savage, man.”
Matt explains the complexities of operating a crime scene cleaning business, including stringent regulations in California, reliance on homeowner’s insurance, and the difficulties posed by major companies like Aftermath due to questionable billing practices.
Notable Quote:
Matt (14:37): “We bill the homeowners insurance, which covers it. Usually 90% of our work is insurance work.”
The conversation touches on managing customer reviews, both positive and negative. Matt shares an incident where he received a bad review after a heated interaction with a grieving client.
Notable Quote:
Matt (39:48): “So I got a bad review for that, and I'll accept that. You know, I shouldn't have said that.”
Matt and Sean discuss the inevitability of death and the importance of living without regrets. Matt reflects on how his job has shaped his outlook on mortality and the importance of cherishing each day.
Notable Quote:
Matt (22:05): “The one thing that you know is guaranteed in life is death.”
Matt details his journey to sobriety, including quitting alcohol and seeking therapy to manage anxiety and PTSD. He also contemplates the potential benefits and apprehensions surrounding microdosing psychedelics for PTSD relief.
Notable Quote:
Matt (31:20): “But a lot of people have been telling me that I need to micro dose mushrooms. It does wonders for PTSD.”
Looking ahead, Matt discusses his intentions to potentially sell his company as his children show no interest in continuing the family business. He also provides an insider’s perspective on the crime scene cleaning industry, highlighting the underreported nature of deaths in places like Las Vegas hotels.
Notable Quote:
Matt (46:14): “None of my kids want any part of the death. They just don't want it.”
In this eye-opening episode, Sean Kelly and Matt Montague explore the grim yet crucial world of crime scene cleaning. Matt’s candid discussions about the complexities of his job, the emotional and psychological challenges, and the business intricacies offer listeners a rare glimpse into an often-overlooked profession. From handling the most gruesome scenes to navigating the pitfalls of insurance dealings, Matt’s experiences underscore the resilience and dedication required in this line of work. Additionally, his personal reflections on life, death, and mental health provide valuable insights into maintaining well-being amidst relentless exposure to tragedy.
Final Notable Quote:
Matt (43:43): “You just can't please everyone. You could have the best service or product.”
For those intrigued by the raw and unfiltered conversations that challenge conventional thinking, this episode of Digital Social Hour is a must-listen. Matt Montague’s journey offers both inspiration and a sobering reminder of the realities behind cleaning up life’s darkest moments.