August 23, 2012

Thomas Parmalee

Kates-Boylston Publications

RE: Your request for interview

Mr. Parmalee.

Your continued interest in the Walker / Newcomer contract questions the legitimacy of your

work as an investigative reporter. In other words, why do you, as an investigative reporter, find

their dispute newsworthy? From what angle? What scandal or believed misdeed/s are you

trying to uncover?

As with any industry, the funeral service business certainly has its share of dishonest and

deceitful participants. As an investigative reporter, how do you rank modern-day scams in the

funeral home industry (e.g., planning, pricing, insurance, casket)? Which is most newsworthy?

What have you uncovered regarding the perils of consolidation, competition, and community

service in the funeral home industry? Is consolidation a good thing for the industry? For the

local community? Given your inside track with the folks at Newcomer, how do they explain the

shift from traditional funerals to cremations? How does the average cost of a traditional funeral

at Newcomer compare with its family-owned competitors in the Cincinnati market? Do the folks

at Newcomer offer green funerals? Should they?

My point, of course, is that the funeral home industry is flooded with real problems that need

serious consideration from investigative reporters— not tabloids. One doesn’t have to be an

investigative reporter to recognize that you are on some type of seek-and-destroy mission. I have

no idea why, or who is behind it.

The above having been said, I respectfully decline your invitation for a sit-down. I am a private

citizen, not a public figure, and I request that you respect my right to privacy.

Yours truly,

Henry Vinson