Garfield Heights family still waiting for daughter’s headstone 10 months later

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) -A Garfield Heights family says they were targeted by a man who was supposed to help them during their lowest point.

It’s been nearly a year and they still don’t have a headstone for their daughter who passed away, saying a funeral home employee took their money and ran with it..

It’s been around ten months since Brian Williams lost his daughter, Brittany.

His family was referred to Eric J. Williams Funeral Home by a family member and worked directly with one of their employees to pay for the services.

While the funeral went smoothly, when it came time for their daughter’s headstone they started getting excuses.

“Here comes April, oh the headstone isn’t ready yet,” said Williams. “Here comes May, Mother’s Day, headstone isn’t there yet.”

Williams said he quickly realized the headstone wasn’t coming.

He filed a police report with the Garfield Heights Police Department.

We’re not naming the suspect because he hasn’t been charged yet, but according to the police report, Eric J. Williams Funeral Home fired him for stealing from other families.

Now, Williams wants the funeral home to take responsibility, too.

“He worked under your company,” said Williams. “You entrusted him to go out and pick up money to take care of final arrangements for families. And this is what happened under your company’s name.”

We tried speaking with someone at the funeral home ourselves, but were told the owner would call us.

We never heard from him.

As for Williams and his family, they’re hoping to finally get what they paid for to help their family heal, and help a little boy understand why he won’t be able to see his mom again.

“We can’t take her son to see a number,” said Williams. “He doesn’t understand right now because he was only four years old when she passed. We can’t take him to just see a number in the ground. We just want her headstone to be placed. That’s it.”

We spoke to the former employee of Eric J. Williams Funeral Home accused of stealing from Williams.

He admitted he owed the family a headstone, but insists he’s worked out a deal with William’s son.

He wouldn’t go into details to clarify what that deal was.

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