Oklahoma family heartbroken after son's headstone is not delivered

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City family has been waiting over a year for their son's headstone to be placed at his gravesite.

Right now, all that's placed at Michael Whitworth Jr's grave is a small bouquet of flowers and his family believes that's not enough to celebrate a son and brother that was loved by many.

"Just wanting to get closure with it all and then just going up to see his headstone and there's nothing there," said Tori Meeks, Whitworth's Mother.

Seven-year-old Michael Whitworth Jr. passed away in June 2022 in a tragic drowning.

"He was awesome in school, had lots of friends, family, just a sweet, kind boy," said Meeks.

Meeks and her family paid Affordable Headstones $3,500 for the grave marker.

"In January of 2023, we paid for the headstone, he was like, 'Yeah, it's going to take 8 to 9 months,'" said Meeks.

After the nine month deadline passed, Meeks and her husband tried contacting the owner.

"I had my husband reach out to him and he just stopped replying around the end of May," said Meeks.

Meeks said the company was referred to them through Buchanan's Funeral Home.

So they reached out to the funeral home.

"They've been very helpful with us and they said 'yeah he told us Friday or Saturday he's just waiting on pictures,'" said Meeks.

Meeks said she and her husband want photos of Michael as part of the headstone.

Photos she said they've already shared with Affordable Headstones.

She now fears the headstone will never arrive.

News 4 called Affordable Headstones and talked to the owner.

The owner apologized and said the delay should have never happened and blamed miscommunication between him and his workers.

He promised to get Michael's headstone completed in the next 45 days and if it's not here, the Meeks will get a full refund.

Later Tuesday, Affordable Housing's attorney sent a letter with a timeline of 60 days.

"I want to go up there and see his headstone, so it's just been really hard," said Meeks.