Forest Lawn Memorial Park: Vases stolen from gravesites at Edmondson Park memorial

Families have been left devastated after learning the vases they paid for to be part of their loved ones’ memorial plaques have been stolen.

Thieves are believed to have targeted the memorial vases at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Edmondson Park, in Sydney‘s southwest, to resell as scrap metal.

Nicole Futcher is just one mourner who visited their loved one’s grave only to find the vase had disappeared.

‘I was in shock when I saw it was gone, then I saw many others around her missing as well,’ she told Yahoo News after visiting her grandmother’s plaque on Sunday.

She said she thought the memorial park was simply replacing the vases until a groundkeeper told her they’d been stolen.

‘That was the last thing I would have thought had happened. It’s a sad world,’ she said.

Ms Futcher said the vase had been replaced with a plastic version.

Back in 2015, up to 600 vases were stolen from graves at the Pinegrove Memorial Park, in Minchinbury, in Sydney’s west.

Families fork out $550 each for the vases, with the vandals estimated to have stolen $330,000 worth.

The police were informed and Pinegrove offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

The Forest Lawn Memorial Park said the matter had been referred to the police and is under investigation.

‘We provide vases to our families for their loved one’s memorials and over a period of time we have had an issue with vases going missing,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We ensure any missing vases are replaced, as our supply allows. In addition to this, we introduced a new vase product some time ago which offers the same appearance. 

‘The issue has also been escalated to the police and is currently under investigation.’