Despite the nationwide outrage over the NYPD’s murder of Eric Garner, there is an even sadder situation unfolding. It turns out that Garner has no grave marker on his final resting place in Linden, NJ. According to the Roselawn Cemetery, his body is in an area among other unmarked graves.
According to an unidentified cemetery worker, “I know who he is…Not a lot of people come here, though.” Garner’s daughter Erica Snipes, 23, visited her dad’s grave on Father’s Day and found a picture someone had left at the gravesite known as Lot 8B, Grave 1. Snipes noted on Instagram, “The grass around his grave grows differently from the rest because he was a special kind of guy.”
The vice president of the cemetery has stated that more reporters visit Garner’s grave than family. According to Faulkner, “We just check for vandals. It’s always a little work to have someone who’s made news here.”
According to Garner’s mother Gwen Carr, the family is attempting to raise $3,000 for a bronze marker. Garner’s widow Esaw Garner has stated that she has not visited her husband’s grave since he was buried. According to Esaw Garner, “I’m a believer in the soul leaving the body, and that’s the shell… I feel like his spirit is with me and he’s with me wherever I go.”
