CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx. — Over the last year, 60 people have reached out to 6 Investigates with concerns about Corpus Christi Memorials.
Nearly every person had the same story, they paid for a headstone or burial marker, and never got it.
Most of these calls came in December when Corpus Christi Memorials closed its doors.
And the more KRIS 6 News dug into this story, a connection formed between the monument company and Lamas Memorial Park Cemetery in Taft.
"I just can't imagine anyone doing this to people who are grieving their loved ones," said Samantha Villarreal.
When Samantha Villarreal lost her father, she used the small payout from his life insurance to order a headstone from Patricia Osborn with Corpus Christi Memorials (CCM)
Villarreal made payments for this headstone, but it continued to be delayed.
After waiting months for delivery, she asked for a refund, but she said that request was ignored.
"I don't think I have been so upset in my life because it's my dad," Villarreal said.
CCM appears closed. Gates are locked and phone lines have been disconnected.
Then there's the similar story of a Corpus Christi woman, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
"It hurts us because we are out all that money, and all we wanted was a headstone for my dad," this woman said.
She said when she ordered this headstone in August 2022, CCM told her it would be ready in four or five months.
After waiting almost a year, and constant excuses, she said she tracked down CCM's headstone supplier, who had some bad news.
"She (Osborn) had never ordered that color of headstone. And we were like 'Are you sure? That was back in August?' Nope, never has ordered it,'" this Corpus Christi woman said.
She asked for a refund, but she said this was delayed time and time again until the doors shut in December of last year.
"It's not only us, it's a whole lot of people that she has done this to," she said.
It's problems echoed by Trish Childress.
"We've been waiting for years now, I think we started this process in 2021," Childress said.
Trish Childress has been waiting on a stone for her mother.
She said since she lives out of state, she called to make sure funeral arrangements were ready but instead found the telephone to CCM had been disconnected.
The Washington resident flew to Corpus Christi to find answers but discovered CCM was locked with padlocks.
"At the most difficult moment for families, they were taken advantage of," Childress said.
6 Investigates found that while Osborn was the owner of CCM, shortly before the doors closed customers were told there was a new owner, Juan Frank Lamas.
"I said well who is this Mr. Lamas? And she says well he's the owner. I say well I thought it was Mrs. Osborn and she says no, Mr. Lamas is the owner," a Corpus Christi woman said.
6 Investigates learned Villarreal was given the same story, and was even told to make payments out to Juan Lamas's wife.
"She (Osborn) wanted me to make my payment out towards Natalia Lamas on Cash App instead of credit card or cash," Villarreal said.
There are so many families affected by Corpus Christi memorial.
Villarreal was one of several who said she made payments via Cash App to Natalia Lamas and provided those receipts to 6 Investigates.
As 6 Investigates previously reported, Juan and Natalia Lamas are the owners of Lamas Memorial Park Cemetery in Taft. Families reached out to the station concerned about fires, missing, missing headstones, and burials in plots that are already owned.
Juan Lamas responded to public questioning of his connection to CCM with a message on Facebook.
In a statement, he writes, that they did not purchase any pending or existing contracts from CCM and are under no contractual obligations to fulfill any of these contracts.
The post also never directly said that they did not purchase the company.
A sign at Lamas Memorial Park Cemetery advertises for CCM and was accompanied by an August Facebook post saying Juan Lamas is back in the headstone business.
Just a few months later, CCM closed its doors.
6 Investigates discovered a history of tax liens and a pending tax case connected with this property as well as a certificate of ownership for a sole proprietorship of CCM signed by Juan Lamas.
He then abandoned this business in December.
"I feel like my mind was going crazy when I first found out they were stealing $4,000 from me," Villarreal said.
Poul Lemasters, an attorney for the International Cemetery Cremation Funeral Association, said that people who have not received merchandise may need to take legal action, but resolution is not guaranteed.
"So they can go after that company and sue them. Now the sad part is that if the company has been shut down, if they filed bankruptcy, if they are gone, then that is a tough thing to get back because there's no money probably," Lemasters said.
Lemasters said that it also comes down to intent and whether they knew the business was shutting down and still took the money.
6 Investigates tried repeatedly to speak with Osborn and Juan and Natalia Lamas, but none have returned dozens of calls and texts.
