Community members call Dunn cemetery 'a disgrace' for neglect, dirty conditions

Family members with loved ones buried at the Devotional Gardens Cemetery in Dunn gathered on Saturday.

They said the cemetery is being neglected, resulting in overgrown graves and horrible smells.

Crystal Barefoot has 30 family members buried at the cemetery and said the conditions are unacceptable.

“It’s very frustrating. My daddy was a Vietnam vet and he was wounded and to see my daddy‘s grave in this [state] is a disgrace,” said Barefoot. “Sinking graves, we have sinking tombstones, cracks in the tombstones. They’re not replacing tombstones that aren’t even put in correctly.”

Barbara Beasley and her husband spent hours cleaning up on Saturday morning. They said it has only become like this recently.

“It was elegant. Everything was neat, everything," said Barefoot. “You couldn’t even look at the headstone to see what their last names were. We cleaned them off. I have a brother-in-law who’s buried out here. It’s heartbreaking.”

According to the North Carolina Cemetery Commission, an audit found more than $135,000 missing from several trust funds there.

Many have reached out to Faithful Heritage Holdings, who owns the cemetery.

They have had no luck getting in touch with the owners.

“No answer. If we get an answer it’s 'they wish these people would quit calling,'" said Barefoot.

Families have also reached out to the cemetery commission, the attorney general and Harnett County to file several complaints. There's still been no response.

“As long as the Lord blesses me and my husband to be able to come out here and cut the grass and keep our family members up, we will do that,” said Beasley.

We’ve reached out to Ruth Thornquest, the owner of Faithful Heritage Holdings. Thornquest did not respond to WRAL-TV's request for comment.