RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond woman was dismayed to discover that her mother's burial site at Maury Cemetery on Richmond's Southside had been relocated without her knowledge.
Tonette Pitchford chose a spot for her mother’s final resting place following her passing in April. However, during a visit months later, Pitchford learned that her mother's casket had been moved to a location near a driveway.
"We just happened to be strolling through. And we’re like, momma’s not there. Where is she?" Pitchford said.
After several attempts to obtain information, Pitchford spoke with a cemetery manager who explained that the original burial site was in a flood zone, prompting the move.
"He said, this was an emergency spot, we put her in. And it’s like, what’s the emergency? There was no emergency. Everything was scheduled," she said.
Months later, Pitchford discovered that the new site was also prone to flooding, as evidenced by photos showing several feet of water collected at the location, despite last fall's drought.
"When they removed her casket, this was the water, that the casket was down in," she said showing images to CBS 6 reporter Elizabeth Holmes.
Watch: Tonette Pitchford voices concerns to reporter Elizabeth Holmes
Additional images captured the relocation process, including someone compressing the cement placeholder for her mother’s new headstone by standing on it, with visible boot prints still intact.
"If you ride through here you’ll see where there’s tracks everywhere, there’s dirt places, there’s boards laid out, there’s like flowers from a gravesite they’ve just thrown up in the woods, it’s a mess. It’s a mess," she said.
A spokesperson for the city told CBS 6 that Parks and Recreation staff typically inform families of potential flooding issues prior to burial and that sites prone to flooding are not utilized.
Pitchford, however, stated she was never notified about the risk of flooding for her mother’s grave by the cemetery or the funeral home that managed her mother's arrangements.
In response to the situation, the city has changed management at Maury Cemetery, implemented new protocols, and is taking steps to mitigate flooding issues. Pitchford has vowed to continue documenting the cemetery's conditions until the problems are addressed.
"It’s time that people know what they’re doing to their loved ones. We spend a lot of money to place a family here, and there’s no respect at all. None," she said.
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