Ezra Thortonberry is the main villain in the episode "Fitting Punishment". An extremely-stingy funeral home director, Ezra kills his nephew Bobby in a panicked rage after the latter threatens to report him to the police, and is stalked by Bobby's vengeful spirit.
He was portrayed by the late Moses Gunn.
Physical Appearance[]
Ezra was a middle-aged black man with graying hair and brown eyes. He typically wore a pressed black suit.
Personality[]
Ezra was two-faced, giving the appearance of a dedicated mortician who was helpful to families in their darkest hour as the funeral was ongoing. However, immediately after the guests leave of the chapel Ezra's true colors begin to show; whereupon he immediately deactivates all the lamps so as not to run up electric bills and creating a hostile workplace for his sole employee, Clyde, demanding he stop playing the organ and tend to other jobs, even threatening physical harm by slamming the organ cover on Clyde's fingers should he dawdle. He cut corners and used very cheap coffins. Ezra's stinginess also shown when he led Bobby to his quarters, which was simply an unused room with a gurney for a bed.
Ezra's despicableness also showed in secret as he pilfered corpses for jewelry or gold teeth prior to preparing caskets for burial, showing an appalling lack of respect for the deceased.
Early Life[]
Ezra owns the Thortonberry Funeral Home, and serves as its sole funeral director. He had one employee, an old man named Clyde, who played the organ at funerals and also served as a mortician's assistant. One day, Ezra's nephew, Bobby, arrived to the Thortonberry Funeral Home in the middle of a funeral, and afterwards was told to get lost by Ezra. Ezra apparently did not keep in touch with his family, as he had to be reminded that Bobby was the son of his sister Ruby. Ezra figured Ruby was off on vacation, and started ranting for Bobby to go back home and "tell that no-good sister of mine" to stop thinking she can dump kids off on family members. Bobby said he cannot do that, for Ruby is dead. He expressed mild surprise and asked what had happened, to which Bobby replied that she got into a cornfield meet on Interstate 95, meaning she was driving when she had the misfortune of colliding with a car going the wrong way. Bobby's father had also perished in the accident. Being a mortician, it was not expected for Ezra to get emotional, but even with his own family dying he remarked that those accidents are messy and he makes big bucks using prosthetics and makeup to make corpses such as Bobby's parents look presentable for funeral viewings.
Bobby appeared to be in late teens, but still a minor, as he was still unable to care for himself. He served Ezra papers which said that as the sole living adult in the family, he was ordered by the law to be Bobby's guardian. Ezra grunted that he did not need any mouths to feed, but Bobby assured his uncle he was no freeloader and would make himself useful. Ezra decided that since Bobby looked to be in pretty good shape, he could become an apprentice mortician, working for room and board rather than a paycheck. Ezra started Bobby's on-the-job training almost immediately, showing him a recently-deceased woman whom he takes a gold tooth from, surprising Bobby. Ezra's stinginess also shown when he led Bobby to his quarters and unused room with a gurney. Bobby at first expresses surprise that the gurney will be his new bed, only to not appear rude and thank Ezra for his hospitality.
One day, letting unintentionally the faucet open, Ezra strikes him and urges him to uses bleach instead of traditional disinfectants. Since he charged him to mesurate the body of the deceased son of Mr. Jeffries. However, Bobby notice the body jumped, implying that his uncle always embalmed bodies without caring if they had really died. During the funeral, the father criticizes the coffin, having asked for one in oak and not pine.
Crime[]
Ezra accuses Bobby of making the error in the command. When Bobby calls him absent-minded, Ezra retorts by strike him with a crowbar, destroying his legs, making him handicapped for life. Ezra lies to the doctor, claiming that Bobby had a fall in staircases. Then he resells the basket ball shoes of basketball of his nephew to pay the doctor. Offended and revolted, Bobby threatens to call the police for what Ezra had done. Panicked, Ezra kills his nephew by pushing him down the cave stairs, using his basketball as a weapon. He embalms Bobby's body and buries him, but not before cutting off his feet because his body is too big for the coffin.
Fate[]
However, the doctor and his resigning organist Clyde, suspect him to be a murderer. That night, hears to knock in his door. But there is nobody. Hearing the water to sink, he goes to the cellar. Then he goes back to the lounge, to discover the switched light. Persuaded that it is Clyde blackmailing him, he sees the basketball running on the staircases of the attic. Hearing the light which sizzles in the cellar, he bends to be pushed by a mysterious person in staircases. The broken legs and crippled, he constant frightened that his aggressor are the gangways and living feet his nephew. Then a living dead Bobby arrives to kill him with a crowbar. Ezra reveals to be a coward once he's crippled and defenseless, he is scared and he begs for his life; however, Bobby kills him. Ezra's soul was condemned to Hell.
The Crypt Keeper says that his body was place in one of very cheap coffins and not giving a proper burial. His body and coffin was placed somewhere that isn't good.
Behind the Scenes[]
- He was portrayed by Moses Gunn.