Decades after Atlanta veteran died, his family says his grave disappeared

ATLANTA, Ga. — A burial mystery.

The son of a deceased veteran says he just learned his father is not buried at the plot his family has visited for years.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan went out to the Magnolia Cemetery in northwest Atlanta on Tuesday.

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As a little boy, Cornelius Ellison doesn’t remember much about his father’s passing. Navy veteran Augustus Jones Jr. died in 1988.

He said for years, his family came to the site to pay respects to the veteran, buried in an unmarked plot.

Ellison said he wanted to do something special this Father’s Day.

“Put him a plaque down, dress his grave up. Because I’m obligated to do that,” Ellison said.

Ellison said he called the cemetery office to confirm the exact spot. He says they first told him they had no records of the burial.

“They couldn’t find him through the computer, couldn’t find him manually,” Ellison said.

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He says they later told him his father was laid to rest near a tree line. They said to look for the yellow tape marking the site, and he was shocked.

“He’s a veteran. All this is disrespect. If you let a tree fall in the middle of his grave, that’s a form of disrespect and he’s not here,” Ellison said.

Ellison says he and the veteran’s extended family, are baffled over the conflicting burial plot locations and want verifications through cemetery records to put them at peace.

“My father is a veteran and left behind four kids. I just want them to do the right thing,” Ellison said.

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Regan reached out to Lincoln Cemeteries, the company that owns the cemetery, for a comment.

A representative told Regan they are concerned, they are now looking into the matter and would get back.

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