Tombstone mystery in man's Detroit backyard solved

DETROIT (FOX 2) - FOX 2 has now solved the mystery behind a backyard tombstone in Detroit.

Charlie Langton interviewed a family shocked to find the headstone in the yard of their new Detroit home. 

Inscribed on the tombstone was "Thomas Cizio - born 1944 - died 2000."
 
They wondered if Mr. Cizio was buried beneath that stone. But a woman who's lived nearby for 40 years says - he's not. 

"The woman who used to live there, her husband passed away about 20 years ago," said Sandy Burket, a neighbor. "And she had a grave stone made and it was made incorrectly. So they made her a new head stone and gave her the old one."

Burket said that the incorrect headstone was kept by the family.

"She didn't want to get rid of it and she took the old head stone and put it in the back yard," Burket said. "And because she was kind of disabled, she could go and talk to Tommie, her husband, there and put flowers there. And that's how the stone ended up being there."

FOX 2 reached Mr. Cizio's family. They were appreciative of the respect given their loved one.

They also gave the new family permission to do what they'd like with the old tombstone.