The body of Sidney Cooper Sr., a San Diego man who founded the city's first Juneteenth celebration, has been located. He was finally laid to rest next to his late wife on Saturday.
The search for his body began the day before his wife Thelma's funeral when cemetery personnel opened the gravesite and discovered Cooper Sr., who had died more than 20 years earlier, was missing.
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“To know that he wasn’t there at the time I’m telling my son, 'This is where your grandfather is,' really broke my heart,” Sidney Cooper Jr. said.
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The Cooper family believe that Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary is to blame, prompting them to file a lawsuit before the father's remains were found.
“You want to blame somebody. You even want to blame the people who are digging the grave now, but it’s not their responsibility," Cooper Jr. said. "The responsibility laid squarely with Greenwood and that failure caused a lot of heartache."
Greenwood personnel found Cooper Sr. while excavating a nearby unmarked gravesite.
Catherine Lane, a spokesperson from the mortuary, provided the following statement to NBC7 in June:
“Because the loved one was interred over 22 years ago, prior to our acquisition of the property, we are being extremely careful as we piece together the details and continue to work to help get this right for the family. We understand their concerns. Again, all of this happened long before we acquired the property in 2014. As to the details of the recent burial, the grave was properly secured; however, it takes time for the sod to grow and take hold. We will continue to investigate and share any relevant information with the family. Our commitment to serve and do what is right for our families is paramount. Our hearts go out to the family as we work through this.”
The Cooper family's attorney Eric Dubin said they will continue with the lawsuit.
“We are very concerned that this has happened to other families in San Diego, and I will not stop until we find out the truth of what happened here and how widespread it really is,” Dubin said.
