Family Finds Another Casket in Loved One’s Grave at Shreveport Cemetery

SHREVEPORT, La. (KPEL-FM) - A wild story out of north Louisiana involves a family trying to bury a loved one, only to discover another casket already in the grave in which they were preparing to lay their late family member.

Frank Ruffin Sr., a beloved pastor and musician, recently passed away and the family gathered at the Carver Memorial Cemetery to lay him to rest. However, it was there they were met with something very disturbing -- a damaged casket already in the open grave.

Funeral Director Speaks Out on Disturbing Discovery

KTBS-TV in Shreveport reached out to Alexander Elie, owner of Choice Funeral Home, who was handling Ruffin's burial.

"When you open a grave, you should never see the casket of another loved one," Elie said.

Yeah, you think so?!

Elie said that when this unfortunate sight was seen, he and the family agreed not to move forward with the burial and instead, bring the casket back to the funeral home.

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Cemetery Owner Defends His Actions

A crew from KTBS showed up at the cemetery to investigate shortly after that when they discovered cemetery owner Arthur Walsh using a backhoe to quickly fill in the grave. He told the TV station the hole had ‘caved in’ but declined further comment.

"Even if the grave caved, why was it still like that when we got here?" asked Elie.

Family Demands Answers After Burial Confusion

Family members were not only shocked by what they witnessed, but also disappointed in the way Walsh handled the situation.

“He offered to just throw dirt in the hole and ignore the fact that someone’s casket had been damaged,” said Ruffin’s niece, Angelica Hampton. “When we asked for a refund, he told us to call the office, said that was fine, and walked away — without even offering condolences.”

Complaints Surround Carver Memorial Cemetery Operations

Apparently, there have been several reported issues over the years at Carver Cemetery, including complaints of overgrown grass, broken headstones, and missing grave markers. Unfortunately, the Louisiana Cemetery Board says it has no jurisdiction over Carver Cemetery because it is not a perpetual care cemetery.

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