Bill Edgar is the son of one of Australia's most notorious gangsters, a former street kid, prisoner, sexual abuse survivor and inventor.
Now the Queensland private investigator has found fame for an unusual service he offers - messages delivered from beyond the grave.
Bill Edgar Photo: supplied
Edgar's latest gig first came about when a terminally ill man hired him to investigate whether his best mate was hitting on his wife.
After capturing the attempted seduction on video, Edgar later attended the man's funeral service with a message to deliver.
'While the best mate was doing the eulogy I interrupted the service. I told the best mate to sit down, shut up and listen to what the man in the coffin has to say."
So far Edgar has been enlisted by 33 Australians to attend either their funerals, will readings or body viewings after their death.
Sometimes his work is carried out while his clients are still alive, such as a 'home sweep' he carried out for an 88-year-old man who was terrified of his sons discovering his home sex dungeon.
"All the toys and all the latex and everything's destroyed. I take that back to my client and I show him on video and he's happy and satisfied and can go on knowing it's not an embarrassing thing for his children to find."
Once Edgar was required to tell a priest to sit down and shut up because his client was an atheist who didn't want a religious funeral (which his family had arranged).
"I was engaged to interrupt this service right when the priest said 'let us pray'. I stand up and introduce myself and say 'i'm Bill Edgar, I am the Coffin Confessor and there'll be no praying today.'
"Half the family stood up and left, the others were in hysterics and the priest didn't know what to do."
Edgar's service is a way for the deceased, rather than their family, to "have the last say", he says.
"Some of these people have paid for years to have funeral cover so why can't they go the way they want to go?
"[This is] a mic drop, there's nothing that can be done."
Bill Edgar has a book called The Coffin Confessor coming out this July. He's also signed a deal with Paramount Pictures.
