Menorah Gardens

MEDIA ALERT
IMMEDIATE RELEASE For More Information Contact:
Kyle Zimmer or Cara Kadyszewski at 561-626-0026 or
Kim Sailer at 561-684-6500
DECEMBER 15, 2003

Lawyers to exhume body at Menorah Gardens in ongoing investigation and suit
Tuesday – December 16 – 9 a.m. – Menorah Gardens – 9321 Memorial Park Rd. – Palm Beach Gardens

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – On Tuesday morning, December 16, attorney Ted Leopold, partner in the law firm of Ricci~Leopold P.A., representing the family of David Wolff, as well as over 60 other area families will work with authorities to exhume Mr. Wolff’s body from a gravesite at Menorah Gardens (9321 Memorial Park Rd. – Palm Beach Gardens). Last week Leopold filed a lawsuit on behalf of Diane Wolff, Michael Wolff, Randee Blumstein and Martha Freedberg against Menorah Gardens Cemetery and its parent corporation Service Corporation International (SCI).

Most recently dozens of area families have filed suit against Menorah Gardens and its parent company Service Corporation International (SCI). Two SCI manages were charged with felonies by the Florida Attorney General’s office. Moreover, SCI agreed to a settlement with the Attorney General’s office that fined the company more than $14 million. And just two weeks ago in Broward County there was a settlement of the class action suit for approximately $65 million involving Menorah Gardens/SCI cemeteries.

Diane Wolff was a resident of Palm Beach County and purchased plots at Menorah Gardens for her deceased husband, David and herself. Mr. Wolff died in 1997 and was supposed to be buried in the Garden of Israel, row 39, space 58 – Mrs. Wolff’s plot was space 59. Martha Freedberg purchased plots for herself and her late husband Solomon. He should have been buried in the Garden of Israel, row 39, space 60 in the cemetery.

Michael Wolff is the surviving son of David Wolff and grandson of Solomon Freedberg, Randee Wolf Blumstein is the surviving daughter of these men and sister of Michael. It was the intention of David Wolff, Diane Wolff as well as Solomon and Martha Freedberg to be buried next to one another in a contiguous manner. These people purchased the plots specifically in that manner. The family recently confirmed that SCI buried David Wolff and Solomon Freeberg in the wrong spaces and that their wives could not be buried with them. SCI buried Samuel Golean in between these two men, in space that were sold to the Freedberg/Wolff families. They also learned that David Wolff’s burial marker and the alleged location of his gravesite are separated by several plots.

“Our investigation will focus on whether Mr. Wolff is in the grave that he is supposed to be in. Whether the grave and burial vault has been disturbed since his interment, moreover, the disposition of other graves the family purchased in a pre-need arrangement with Menorah Gardens and SCI.”

The civil suit that Leopold has filed on behalf of the this family as well as over 60 others that have been filed, states a number of claims against Menorah Gardens/SCI which include secretly breaking

MENORAH GARDENS EXHUMATION TO HAPPEN TUESDAY (2)

and opening burial vaults and dumping remains in a wooded area where they may have been consumed by wild animals; burying remains in locations other than those purchased by families; crushing burial vaults in order to make room for other vaults; burying remains on top of the other remains rather than side-by-side; secretly mixing body parts and remains from different individuals’ secretly allowing plots owned by one party to be occupied by a different person; secretly allowing graves to encroach on other plots; selling plots so narrow that the grave could not accommodate industry standard burial vaults; desecrating graves and markers while failing to exercise reasonable care in handling the plaintiff’s loved ones remains.

“We already know that there are specific problems with the location, headstone and the like with this particular grave. However, we have determined that an exhumation is necessary in order to try and ascertain other information. This family is upset over what they now know to be the problems with the two graves where their loved ones are buried. I am hopeful that we can answer some additional questions for them on Tuesday morning. However, even pending the outcome, the behavior of Menorah Gardens and SCI has devastated this family as well as countless others emotionally. Many are uncertain where or even if their loved ones are in the cemetery. Compounding all of this, it seems as though more irregularities and fraudulent business practices with this operation are arising,” added Leopold. “At this juncture I don’t believe that a single gravesite at the Menorah Gardens Cemetery in Palm Beach Gardens is free of reasonable suspicion, or remains undisturbed or unmolested,” concluded Leopold.

Theodore J. Leopold is a partner in the law firm of Ricci~Leopold, P.A. The firm founded in 1982, has five attorneys and is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with offices located at 2925 PGA Blvd. Mr. Leopold can be contacted at 561-684-6500. Additional information may be obtained from the firm’s website at www.riccilaw.com. A copy of the complaint is available on the firm’s website – click “News & Events” on the menu bar at the left on the firm’s homepage, then “Legal News” then “Legal News & Updates”, then “Menorah Gardens – Wolff v. SCI” – “Complaint.”

Mr. Leopold is available for interviews at Menorah Gardens on Tuesday morning or at Ricci~Leopold offices. To schedule office interviews please contact Kim Sailer at Ricci ~Leopold, 561-684-6500.