Families Cry Foul as Newark's Neglected City Cemetery Once Again Overlooks History

Newark’s City Cemetery serves as the last residence for 18,000 individuals, encompassing those who were impoverished, unidentified, or left unclaimed; however, it appears much like an overgrown vacant lot.

A relative mentions that the cemetery has been neglected, and this isn’t the first time this has come up. They requested CBS News investigative journalist Mahsa Saeidi to find out who’s responsible for managing it so they can pay respects to those buried there.

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The City Cemetery was improperly utilized as an unauthorized dumping ground during the 1990s.

In the late 1990s, Anna Lascurain started looking for her grandfather's burial place as requested by her mother, Elsie. Her mother wished to move her father’s remains from the municipal graveyard to a privately owned one; however, for many years, Lascurain mentions that locating the site proved extremely difficult.

“I obtained some tax maps and cross-referenced them with the City Cemetery... When we visited the site, it was devastating,” Lascurain stated. “Everything imaginable was just heaped up here… Junk.”

Lascurain instructed her mother to initiate legal proceedings. The video footage obtained for this case seems to depict the cemetery functioning like a scrap yard, which would be both inappropriate and possibly unlawful.

According to state legislation, when you want to reuse a cemetery, you are required to disinter the remains and relocate them to another site.

“And none of that had ever been carried out,” Lascurain’s lawyer told CBS News New York in 1998.

The lawsuit alleged the sacred land that held human remains was illegally converted, leased and developed by the City of Newark.

An engineer working on the Newark sewer project testified that they discovered skulls during testing.

CBS News New York acquired footage of previously unviewed testimonies.

During a short time frame between 1949 and 1958, the Spatola family was responsible for managing the city’s cemetery. In legal statements taken in 2000 with Newark’s municipal lawyer attending, Agata Spatola O’Connor detailed how her relatives attempted to rectify past issues and honor those who had passed away.

As her father's contribution, he did not bill the city for this work," she explained. "Her father simply felt that, regardless of their financial situation, everyone deserves to be...

When Newark's city attorney raised an objection based on hearsay, Spatola O'Connor responded with, "But I was present at the event."

The lawyer raised an objection once more as Spatola O'Connor mentioned that her father suggested the city should undertake some gardening work.

Thomas Ferguson, who served as a consulting engineer, stated that back in 1966, he was brought on board to supervise a sewer project commissioned by the city.

In 1999, Ferguson stated, 'I had absolutely no clue that there was a graveyard in that spot.'

While work was progressing, something unsettling occurred.

Ferguson stated, “And as they began digging...well, around two skulls dropped down. Then, they struck something—rotten wood and such—and subsequently, this foul-smelling liquid started pouring down too.”

A major flood led to the closing of City Cemetery, according to the mayor.

Lascurain's legal case gained widespread attention, compelling Newark’s authorities to reinstate the graveyard. Photos from past years depict a well-maintained site, yet currently, it is overgrown with weeds, encircled by a chain-link fence, and barred to public entry.

Lascurain could never locate her grandfather's burial place, yet she continues to advocate for action to be taken.

It’s disgraceful," Lascurain stated. "Tidy it up and make it appear presentable.

Forensic photographer Karl Petry collaborated with Lascurain on the lawsuit during the 1990s.

“I didn’t come from a rich background, so I understand what it feels like to not have many resources,” he stated. “The entire experience can be quite humiliating... It’s as though you’re being ignored.”

At first, certain employees at the city informed CBS News New York that they were unaware of Newark having a cemetery. However, they expressed their desire to investigate further for the sake of all affected families.

The city subsequently affirmed that it indeed retains ownership of the 5-acre site, with the Department of Public Works overseeing its maintenance.

"We definitely aim to clean it up, we have to clean it up," stated Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

Baraka mentions that the cemetery was shut down following a significant flooding event in 2010. This occurred four years prior to his inauguration.

"There’s a cleaning schedule in place... However, our DPW personnel won’t access the location without us granting them explicit permission,” he stated.

Baraka mentioned that the worry is that some remains may have been disrupted during the flooding. The following phase involves assessing the location for health and safety concerns, with the mayor’s office stating this evaluation is currently underway.

The mayor's office is seeking additional support from the state, thus contacting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

At present, there isn't a schedule set for the cleanup of the cemetery; however, the mayor's office indicates that plans are underway.

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