Memphis Family Seeks Answers After Mother’s Remains Go Missing at Local Cemetery
In the heart of Memphis, a grieving daughter is desperately searching for answers after claiming her mother’s remains have been misplaced at a local cemetery. The story unfolds with Georleshia Minter, who faced an unimaginable loss when her mother, Marie Minter-Boyd, passed away on November 11, 2023. “She was a daughter, a granddaughter, a cousin, a sister, someone’s everything. Our everything,” Minter shared, capturing the essence of her mother’s significance in their family.
After her mother’s passing, Minter noted that her mother was laid to rest in New Park Cemetery on Horn Lake Road in December. Initially, she visited the gravesite without issue. But as months passed, she started to notice something wasn’t quite right. “At first it was just a substantial difference from where I had been coming for the previous months,” Minter explained, her concern growing with each visit.
A Disturbing Discovery
During a family gathering to celebrate what would have been her mother’s birthday, relatives noticed inconsistencies regarding the gravesite’s location. “We looked back at videos and pictures that we had taken from December 2, the day that we laid my mother to rest, and noticed that something in fact was not right,” Minter stated, clearly troubled by this discovery. Despite her efforts to approach the cemetery management about her concerns, she reportedly received no satisfactory answers.
According to Minter, when she inquired about her mother’s remains, the management seemed unsure and claimed, “They have no idea where or how she was lost, but they do not know where she is.” This lack of clarity has left the family in distress, grappling with the feeling of being lost themselves. “To be missing in life and to be missing in death is heartbreaking,” she added. “If nothing else is done, my mom must be found.”
Cemetery’s Response
WREG reached out to the cemetery’s General Manager, Jeff Roberts, for further insight. He stated that they had double-checked their records and found no errors or discrepancies on their part. “The family has no headstone on the grave, and perhaps that is what led to their misunderstanding,” Roberts suggested, which Minter disputed. Even though her mother didn’t have an official headstone, Minter had placed a marker to identify her mother’s burial site—an indicator that has since gone missing as well.
A Pattern of Issues
This situation isn’t entirely new for New Park Cemetery. Earlier this year, another family voiced similar concerns regarding the misplacement of their loved one’s remains. An investigation by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance was conducted but, while they didn’t find evidence that the mother’s body had been moved, they did uncover several maintenance issues within the cemetery, including litter and overturned headstones. As a result, the cemetery was fined nearly $3,000.
While filming this current story, WREG crews encountered yet another family approaching with complaints about their loved one’s burial site. The common thread of distress reveals a troubling trend that many families in the Memphis area seem to be facing.
A Call for Action
Minter’s heart-wrenching plea exemplifies the pain of losing a loved one not only in life but also in death. The family hopes to find closure for Marie, who was so loved and is now at the center of a heartbreaking mystery. As they seek answers, the larger issue of cemetery management practices is brought to light, sparking essential conversations about the importance of respectful treatments of our departed.
While the situation remains unresolved, Minter and her family continue to search for the truth. They wait and hope that their beloved mother will be located, restoring a sense of peace for a family still grieving.
