MANNFORD, Okla. -- Families out of Mannford are desperate for answers after finding a dump pile filled with flowers and trinkets at the Oak Hill Cemetery. Many claim the items they place at their loved ones graves go missing within a few days.
James McCrackin buried his 19-year-old son in 2014 at Oak Hill Cemetery after he lost his life to suicide.
"He’s gone, he’s been gone since 2014 and it feels like he’s still fighting that battle, but I’m here to fight it with him," said McCrackin.
He's now fighting another battle at the cemetery. Several items his family places at his son's grave disappears days later.
"He was an avid OU fan, it was a round flower arrangement with an OU tag in the center of it," said McCrackin.
Now there's just an empty space at his grave.
He's not the only one dealing with this issue at Oak Hill.
Richard Dye buried his Grandfather at Oak Hill nearly 20 years ago, and more recently his cousin after she passed away in a horrible car accident.
"I had a pink case knife and it’s been there since she passed away in 2012 and it hasn’t moved at all, and all of a sudden it’s just gone two weeks ago," said Dye.
Many people discovered a large pile behind the Chapel at the cemetery. It's filled with hundreds of flowers and trinkets from the grave sites, which turned their confusion into anger.
"I can’t tolerate anyone out here to be dishonored like that," said McCrackin.
McCrackin says he's tried talking to Cemetery board members, but nothing has changed. Many people are wondering if it's worth putting items out anymore if they end up in a garbage pile days later.
"I looked up to him my whole life and then he’s gone and to just take his marker away, and I had his marker custom built, and to just throw it away," said Dye.
We reached out to the Cemetery board president, Gene Ledbetter. He said he had no comment other than the cemetery has to follow certain rules.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.