Officials at the Sunset Memorial Park cemetery in Albuquerque plan to move the gravesite to local restaurant Vernon's Steakhouse that organized the fake funeral.
- Oct 24, 2013
AceShowbiz - Following protests and petition signed by families whose relatives are burried at the Sunset Memorial Park cemetery in Albuquerque, a fake gravesite for "Breaking Bad" character Walter White will be removed. Cemetery officials had promised before that they would get rid of the headstone if it attracted many tourists.
The headstone and burial vault to commemorate the fictional meth dealer will be relocated to the Village Shops at Los Ranchos, the home of local restaurant Vernon's Steakhouse that organized the fake funeral on Saturday, October 19.
The organizers have apologized to those upset by the Walter White tombstone. "It was never our intention to disrespect those who are buried at Sunset Memorial Park or cause pain to their families," Michael Baird, owner of Vernon's Steakhouse, said on Monday.
"We created the Walter White Funeral and Final Amends as a way to have a positive impact on the community and help those who are negatively impacted by the terrible effects of drug addiction and homelessness. We greatly apologize to anyone who was offended, and want to ensure that the focus remains on the amazing work that Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless does in our community."
Indeed, the fake funeral held last weekend raised nearly $17,000 to benefit Albuquerque's Healthcare for the Homeless organization. Despite the good deed, some were not pleased and Manuel Montano, whose 6-year-old child is buried at the cemetery, launched a petition to remove the gravesite.
