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The city of Hudson is nestled in far west Wisconsin, a state famous for being America's

dairy land, due to its production of cheese, milk and ice cream. Separated from the state

of Minnesota by the St. Croix River, Hudson is a small, scenic city, characterised by

historic architecture, leafy parks and a wide offering of outdoor attractions, including

walking tracks, water sports, rock climbing and camping.

By the year 2002, the city was home to a close knit community of around 6,000 residents

and was regarded as a safe place to live. Violent crime was well below the national

average and a murder hadn't been committed in the area for 24 years.

The only funeral home in Hudson was a sprawling single story brick and weather board building

owned by local resident Tom O'Connell, whose family had lived in the area for generations.

Tom's uncle had owned an undertaking business in town prior to World War II and in 1985,

Tom decided to relaunch the family business. He opened the O'Connell family funeral home

...