After a week of searching, guessing and wondering about their loved ones buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in south suburban Alsip, family and friends said at this point they just want rest and peace.
After a week of searching, guessing and wondering about their loved ones buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in south suburban Alsip, family and friends said at this point they just want rest and peace.
That’s what Charetta Robinson, 37, wanted July 9 when she went to visit her mother’s gravesite at the cemetery.
But instead of celebrating her mother’s birthday, she spent six hours with other family members waiting for answers.
“I have five other family members buried here. This is our family cemetery,” Robinson told the Defender. “Today is my mom’s birthday. She would have turned 57 years old. It’s a shame that she cannot rest in peace.”
Lisa Gordon, a spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff’s office said Robinson is among thousands of people that visited Burr Oak, 4400 W. 127th St., in the past week.
Four cemetery employees have been charged with dismembering a human body, which is a Class X felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
Additionally, the four cemetery employees are accused of reselling already occupied burial plots to unsuspected families and pocketing the money.
Reportedly the scheme has been going on for the last four years, and the group netted about $300,000.
But the arrest brings little comfort to families affected by the scandal.
“So what they are in jail. Big deal. That does nothing to ease the hatred I feel right now,” said David Jefferson, 53, whose wife is buried at Burr Oak. “If I could have five minutes with them, it would not be pretty. Hopefully, they will get natural life sentences because if they make bail, there will be a line of folks wanting some one-on-one time with them.”
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose office has been overseeing the cemetery scandal, blamed poor management for hindering investigators from locating plots. At a Tuesday news conference, he displayed a file cabinet from Burr Oak that was old and dilapidated and looked as if it had been recovered from an underwater shipwreck a century ago.
Dart said there were no records for the year 2005 nor are there records showing who should have headstones.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of questions that will never be answered in part because of sloppy record keeping,” he added.
The Cook County Sheriff’s office is now reaching out to churches to see if they have records pertaining to Burr Oak that could assist them.
On July 10, a second set of human remains was located at the cemetery, turning it into a crime scene and forcing Dart to close the cemetery to the public.
For now those wanting to inquire about loved ones must do so either by phone or e-mail.
For phone inquires, call 800-942-1950 or 708-865-6070, or send the sheriff’s department an email to burroakinvestigation@gmail.com.
“Could this happen at another cemetery? Yes, it could. Can something like this be prevented from happening elsewhere? I am not sure,” Dart said.
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