More victims come forward as headstones move at Bridgeport Cemetery

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Other victims are coming forward after a former cemetery director was accused for years of burying coffins on top of each other and moving headstones.

Latanya Bryant says her grandmother and mother Nadine cannot rest in peace at Park Cemetery.

“I was 20 when my mom died. I had to work three jobs to pay for her tombstone, her funeral, everything,” Bryant said.

Former cemetery superintendent Dale Laprade has been accused of burying coffins on top of each other and moving headstones to make room for new graves.

Bryant says his mother’s stone has been moved several feet and will not be at peace until it can be moved to a new resting place.

Former warden LaPrade was also accused of embezzling more than $600,000 from cemetery funds. LaPrade died last June while awaiting trial.

“We are asking that my mother and my grandmother be removed from this cemetery and moved to another cemetery because they are in the wrong place, they are not resting, they are on another body,” Bryant said.

The court-appointed cemetery board is still working to confirm the location of some stones and bodies.

Anthony Monelli says he is working to help Bryant, but moving his loved ones would mean finding state funding. The former cemetery director also allegedly embezzled more than $600,000.

“Dale LaPrade’s many years have exhausted available cemetery funds. We are working on its construction to keep up with maintenance. It has been a very difficult task,” Monelli said.

Bryant says she shouldn’t have to pay to bury her mother a second time.

“I don’t know who is going to have to pay – it’s what they’re working on, but it’s not something the family should be forced to pay. We didn’t cause this problem, and it went on for ages. years and years and years. It’s not OK. It’s really not OK,” Bryant said.

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