Bladenboro, NC — Two individuals face felony charges in Bladen County following an investigation into unfulfilled headstone orders, a case that touches on a deep breach of community trust during times of family grief.
Law enforcement officers received a report of obtaining property by false pretenses involving Memory Lane Monuments, an operation spanning multiple counties with its main corporate office listed at 179 Southport-Supply Road in Supply, its primary operational base in Bladenboro, and additional presence in Lumberton. According to investigators, a customer reported purchasing three headstones approximately two years ago. While two markers were eventually delivered, the buyer stated they did not match the specifications or items ordered and paid for. At the time, the matter was initially directed to civil court.
A subsequent review revealed that a third headstone was paid for separately from the initial two stones but was never delivered to the family. Following an investigation into the separate transaction, law enforcement officers consulted with the District Attorney’s Office to secure criminal charges.
Phyllis Hester McDaniel, 56, of Bladenboro, turned herself in to authorities and received a $5,000 unsecured bond on one felony count of obtaining property by false pretenses. Authorities also issued a warrant charging her son, James Kynston Lee Rittenhouse, 33, of Bladenboro, with felony obtaining property by false pretenses.
Monument and grave marker sales carry a unique level of sensitivity, as local families rely on providers during vulnerable moments of bereavement. When orders go unfulfilled or markers fail to match what was paid for, it cuts into a sacred trust between area residents and regional trade providers where personal reputation and family history are closely intertwined.
All individuals named in this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.
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