Background: Forest Lawn Mortuary in Los Angeles, California (Google Maps). Inset: News footage of a member of the Demirchyan family at their mother’s grave (KTLA).
A California family is taking legal action against a renowned cemetery after discovering that their loved one’s headstone had been positioned on the incorrect grave. The mix-up was revealed only after the death of another relative.
The Demirchyan family laid their family patriarch to rest beside his predeceased wife in April at the Hollywood Hills branch of the prominent Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles. Shortly after the funeral, the deceased’s son was approached by a mortician, who revealed that his mother—who had passed away in August 2021—was not interred in the plot marked by her headstone. As per a lawsuit acquired by local Nextar station KTLA, it became evident that she had been buried in the adjacent plot.
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Chris Demirchyan, whose age was not provided, spoke to several local news outlets about his family’s lawsuit against Forest Lawn Mortuary, and had a similar story for each of them. He told KTLA, “I feel betrayed because we have been speaking to an empty plot.”
According to the lawsuit, his mother, Hasmik Demirchyan, was buried in “space 2,” but her grave marker was placed on “space 1.”
Chris Demirchyan told KTLA, “All those times we put down flowers, we prayed, we came for holidays, we even put up a decorated Christmas tree — it was the wrong space.” He similarly told local NBC affiliate KNBC, “For a year, I was there every weekend, taking her flowers, and sitting and talking to her.”
The late couple’s son told KNBC about the awkward conversation that took place at the burial of his father, Avetis Demirchyan, in April. “[An official] indicated to us that Forest Lawn messed up, and that the [memorial] tablet was placed at a wrong grave site, an empty grave site,” he told KNBC. “It was an embarrassing moment. It was a shocking moment. It’s a violation of trust.”
According to both outlets, Forest Lawn moved the grave marker 24 hours after discovering the mistake.
His sister, Marine Demirchyan, told KNBC that the error at her mother’s grave “felt like losing her all over again.”
The attorney for the Demirchyan family, Rosie Zilifyan of Shegarian & Associates, told KTLA, “While we appreciate Forest Lawn for taking appropriate action to correct their error right after they discovered it, it still is inexcusable because this would not have come to light if my client hadn’t suffered another loss.”
The Demirchyan family is now suing Forest Lawn Mortuary and the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association for fraud, breach of contract, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, but told the news outlets that they seek to prevent other families from experiencing a mistake like this.
Law&Crime reached out to Zilifyan and Forest Lawn Mortuary but did not receive an immediate response.
