BARTLETT, Tenn. (AP) – Clutching red flowers and blue balloons, hundreds of relatives visited deceased loved ones buried at a troubled Memphis-area cemetery for the first time since it closed more than a year ago, after its owner was arrested and charged with mishandling burials.
Galilee Memorial Gardens in Bartlett temporarily opened Monday afternoon to allow family members of people buried there to pay their respects on Memorial Day. Pastors recited prayers and mourners sang “Amazing Grace” at the cemetery, where officials say poor record keeping and questionable burial practices led to lost bodies and concerns of multiple caskets stuffed in single graves.
“We have this sense of feeling in our community that this sacred ground has been disrespected and dishonored,” said Danny Sinquefield, pastor at Faith Baptist Church.
The public has been kept out of the cemetery since it was closed and placed in state receivership in early 2014, based on charges filed against owner Jemar Lambert that he buried bodies on land adjacent to the cemetery and buried three bodies in a single grave.
Lambert has pleaded guilty to burying bodies on the adjacent land he did not own and is serving a sentence of 10 years’ probation. Charges that he buried the three bodies in a single grave were dismissed.