up.
MIKE, SHANNON - MANY FOLKS WE
SPOKE WITH TODAY USED THE SAME
WORD TO DESCRIBE (HE)
THE LATEST NOW IN A TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS EXCLUSIVE; GRAVE
CONCERNS.
TWO FAMILIES --
I hope other people feel the
same way that I do about
helping to get these people out
of there. and get a final
resting place for them.
(HE)
FOR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING
DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE ABANDONDED
MAUSOLEUM WHERE *HUNDREDS* OF
BODIES HAVE BEEN TRAPPED SINCE
IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE MORE THAN A
DECADE AGO.
(MM)
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR SUSAN
CAMPBELL WAS THERE TODAY - AS
FIVE BODIES WERE REMOVED,
TO BE BURIED AT LOCAL
CEMETERIES.
SUSAN?
AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE SOME OF
THE CASKETS WERE INTACT.
OTHERS WERE IN PIECES.
FAMILY MEMBERS TELL ME - THEY'RE
JUST RELIEVED TO FINALLY HAVE
CLOSURE.
A MOMENT DECADES IN THE
MAKING...
she is right next to your
grandfather.
DENISE WHEAT HASN'T BEEN TO THIS
MAUSOLEUM SINCE SHE WAS A SMALL
CHILD.
HER GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT AUNT
WERE LAID TO REST HERE IN THE
30S AND 40S.
TODAY - THEIR BODIES WERE
REMOVED FROM THE CRUMBLING
BUILDING.
TWO OF THEIR CASKETS HAD TO BE
WRAPPED IN PLASTIC SHEETS
BECAUSE THE WOOD SUCCOMBED TO
YEARS OF DECAY... IN A PLACE
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO STAND THE
TEST OF TIME..
it's disgusting, really. The
ceilings are totally
compromised, caved in..
this place unforunatley will
remain exactly as it is until
the state of ri, the speaker,
the mayor, work together to
solve this problem once and for
all
FUNERAL DIRECTOR ANDREW CORREIA
MOVED ALL THREE TO A CEMETERY IN
NORTH KINGSTOWN WHERE DENISE
ALREADY OWNED PLOTS.
that really will mean a lot to
me to have them all together
YEARS AGO... THE MAUSOLEUM WAS
DECLARED ABANDONDED BY THE
COURT.
think about how you would feel
if it was your family
BOB CABRAL'S PARENTS, BEATRICE
AND MANUEL, WERE AMONG THE
HUNDREDS OF BODIES TRAPPED
INSIDE.
THEIR REMAINS WERE ALSO WERE
ALSO REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING
AND
TRANSFERED TO THE VETERANS
CEMETERY IN EXETER.
mr cabral was a wwii veteran,
infantry.purple heart recipient.
he belongs, like every other
human being in a final resting
place that has dignity
DIGNITY THAT HAS ESCAPED THESE
CRUMBLING WALLS.
IT'S UNCLEAR EXACTLY HOW MANY
BODIES REMAIN INSIDE THE
MAUSOLEUM - BUT COURT DOCUMENTS
SAY 527 PEOPLE WERE LAID TO REST
THERE.
WITH THE TARGET 12
(HE)
THE LATEST NOW IN A TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS EXCLUSIVE; GRAVE
CONCERNS.
ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 5... WE
SHOWED YOU THE INCREDIBLE EFFORT
TO REMOVE FIVE BODIES FROM A
CRUMBLING MAUSOLEUM IN CRANSTON.
(MM)
FOR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING
DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE ABANDONDED
BUILDING WHERE *HUNDREDS* OF
BODIES REMAIN TRAPPED.
NEW AT SIX... WHY THERE ARE SO
MANY CHALLENGES TO REMOVING
OTHER HUMAN REMAINS.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR SUSAN
CAMPBELL JOINS US WITH THE NEW
DETAILS.
TODAY WE WERE ON THE LOWEST
LEVEL OF THE MAUSOLEUM.
THE CEILING IS CRUMBLING.. AND
THERE ARE SIGNS OF TRESPASSERS.
ONE OF THE FUNERAL DIRECTORS ON
SITE TODAY - TOLD ME - THE
MAUSOLEUM IS IN MUCH WORSE
CONDITION THAN IT WAS JUST A
COUPLE YEARS AGO.
THIS WAS NEVER THE PLAN..
MANUEL CABRAL AND HIS WIFE
BEATRICE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
INTERRED AT THE ROGER WILLIAMS
PARK MAUSOLUEM IN CRANSTON UNTIL
THE END OF TIME..
BUT TIME AND NEGLECT CHANGED THE
PLAN...
there's his name plate
FOR YEARS... THEIR SON BOB HAS
BEEN TRYING TO RESCUE HIS
PARENT'S REMAINS FROM THE
CRUMBLING STRUCTURE...
it would mean everything. It
would mean closure b/c this has
been a nightmare
IT FINALLY HAPPENED TUESDAY
MORNING.
AND THE PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT
AND HIS WIFE WERE MOVED TO THE
VETERANS CEMETERY IN EXETER.
this side..
ON THE SAME DAY - DENISE WHEAT
WATCHED AS HER GRANDPARENTS AND
GREAT AUNT WERE ALSO MOVED FROM
THE MAUSOLEUM.
HER SON STEPHEN STOOD BY HER
SIDE..
I think there's a sense of
peacefulness that has come w/
all of this. there's a complete
circle and a complete closure.
WHEN THE MAUSOLEUMS'S OWNERS
PASSED AWAY... THE COURT
DECLARED THE STONE STRUCTURE
ABANDONED IN 2012 WITH HUNDREDS
OF BODIES STILL TRAPPED INSIDE.
there's been vandalism. Missing
goram bronze plaques, which
really upsets me b/c now we
don't know who these people are
I don't know of any records in
existence that can shiow who is
in which crypt. And without
those plaques, who are these
people?
DESPITE A DESIRE TO REMOVE ALL
OF THE BODIES FROM THE BUILDING
ONCE AND FOR ALL - A PLAN HAS
NEVER GAINED MOMENTUM.
there's not much you can do w/o
the funds.
BUT ON THIS MORNING...
A LONG-AWAITED STEP TOWARD PEACE
FOR TWO FAMILIES.
THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ESTIMATE ON
WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REMOVE ALL
OF THE BODIES FROM THE
MAUSOLEUM.
WITH THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS, SUSAN CAMPBELL,
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
(HE)
YOU CAN FIND EXTENDED COVERAGE
OF THIS TARGET 12 INVESTIGATION
... ON W-P-R-I DOT-COM AND THE
EYEWITNESS NEWS APP.
WE'VE POSTED MORE PHOTOS AND
VIDEO FROM INSIDE THE MAUSOLEUM
...
AS WELL AS A LIST OF NAMES OF
THOSE WHO WERE LAID TO REST
THERE.
AND WE ALSO TAKE AN IN-DEPTH
LOOK AT THE LONG LEGAL BATTLE
OVER THE MAUSOLEUM THAT RESULTED