‘Heartless’: Grieving mother among dozens waiting for headstones, engravements from Mass. business

WESTFORD, Mass. — The police reports are piling up against a Westford monument business accused of taking money from people during their most vulnerable moments.

Boston 25 News first reported on accusations against Garside Monuments last month.

We initially reported that 13 police reports had been filed and 6 were outstanding.

According to Westford Police, there are now a total of at least 35 police reports making similar accusations against business owner J.T. Smith.

Most of the customers who have filed complaints allege that they’re still waiting on headstones and engravements they paid for.

Most of them accuse Smith of making up an array of excuses, not showing up for meetings, dodging calls, and eventually cutting off communication.

“I feel like he’s heartless,” said Crystal Sikhaolouanglath, who’s grieving the death of her 27-year-old daughter. “It’s the lowest thing that anybody could do to anyone when they’re grieving.”

Sikhaolouanglath’s daughter Destiney, a mother of three young children, took her own life after a battle with depression last Labor Day.

Sikhaolouanglath said she worked extra hours while mourning to pay for a special black granite headstone with an angel on top of it.

“She was my baby angel,” she said. “People told me that it’s a little pricey, but I thought, if I have breath in me, I’m going to get that for her.”

Sikhaolouanglath said she paid half of the money up front — $3,100 dollars — on October 4, 2022 to Garside Monuments.

She said Smith told her the headstone was coming from overseas and would take about six months.

“I just got the feeling that something wasn’t right after a couple of months,” she explained. “I kept calling and calling. I left voice messages. I texted him. I never got a response.”

Sikhaolouanglath told Boston 25 News that the communication went dark.

She said Smith finally responded to her husband but continued to string them along.

She finally went to the police after she said Smith didn’t show up to a meeting they arranged at the business.

“As soon as we got there, they heard Garside Monument and they said, ‘Oh, you’re not the only one,’” recalled Sikhaolouanglath. “My whole body went weak.”

Boston 25 News has been trying to get answers from Garside Monuments since mid-June.

Smith has yet to publicly respond to the allegations, and the activity at the business on Tyngsboro Road has seemingly stopped.

“It’s really low for someone to be able to do that to other people,” said Kala Phetchamphone, Destiney’s older sister. “I hope one day he understands the impact he’s made on so many families.”

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Attorney General said its office has received at least 16 complaints this year from consumers regarding Garside Monuments.

That’s in addition to the police reports filed and civil claims that have been made by customers across the state.

“I’m hoping to get my money back so we can go to another place and purchase a headstone,” added Sikhaolouanglath. “We want closure.”

A Westford Police captain told Boston 25 News that criminal complaint paperwork has been submitted to court involving multiple cases.

Those complaints have not yet moved forward for an arraignment date.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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