“I can’t even describe the pain.”
Mandy Martin was devastated when she saw the niche where her father’s stone marker used to be.
She visits Cambridge’s New Hope Cemetery every Thursday, and says it was there a few days ago.
But sometime before Sunday morning, someone smashed Ron Martin’s marker, taking all the broken pieces with them.
All except one.
Even more heartbreaking is that the discovery was made on Father’s Day.
Ron, who was affectionately known as “The Cable Guy”, died in December 2016.
Mandy says the marker holds special meaning to her.
“I’m such a sentimental person. He knew I needed a place to come and grieve him. He not only told me that I could choose the place, I could choose what was written on it.”
Ron was described as a huge fan of Pink Floyd.
“He loved to be the center of attention,” says Mandy through tears. “So we put him in the center of the wall and it says: ‘I’m just another brick in the wall.’”
The words are a reference to one of the band’s biggest hits.
“It always gave me comfort because it made me laugh when I would come here. Now… I don’t even have that.”
Mandy has only one question – why.
Why would someone do this, and why would they do it just before Father’s Day?
Ron’s niece Crystal Campbell is pleading for answers.
“It’s not right,” she says. “Nobody deserves this. If anybody has seen or heard anything this past weekend in New Hope Cemetery, please call the police. Help us bring this person to justice.”
