Grieving Widower Put Flowers on His Fiancée’s Grave, Gets Arrested for Littering

In a strange turn of events, a 27-year-old grieving widower was arrested after putting flowers on his fiancée’s grave. He was shocked to find out who had filed a complaint against him for littering, knowing he was going through a difficult phase of his life.

Losing a loved one, especially if it’s a person’s partner, can bring them immense pain that sometimes lasts a lifetime. During their grieving period, friends and family give them space and try not to bother them unnecessarily.

On the other hand, some people intentionally say and do things that hurt the grieving person. The man in today’s story also experienced the same when the police arrested him for littering based on his heartfelt gesture of leaving flowers on his fiancée’s grave.

A TALE OF LOVE

When Winston “Winchester” Hagans talked to Hannah Ford in a coffee shop in Montgomery, Alabama, for the first time, he thought there was something special about her. For the next two months, they “accidentally” kept sitting next to each other in the same coffee shop.

Hagans and Ford had similar interests. They bonded over classical music and records and shared their love for plants. They even had the same religious interests, helping them strengthen their relationship. Hagans said Ford talked to him every day. He recalled:

“We shared everything with each other.”

DISAPPROVAL

After dating for some time, Hagans and Ford told their families about their love interests, but things didn’t go as planned for Ford. Her father disapproved of their relationship, while Hagans’ family welcomed her with open arms.

The couple had planned to get married on May 1, 2021, not knowing they would have to part ways soon.

During their relationship, there was a time of 30 days when the pastor told Hagans and Ford to stop talking. That month was the only time they didn’t speak to each other during their entire relationship.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

Despite knowing her father had disapproved of her relationship with Hagans, Ford wanted to keep dating him. While her relationship with her father went downhill, she was delighted to be reunited with Hagans after 30 days of no contact. Hagans recalled:

“We jumped through all of his hoops to be together. We had to figure out if going through the craziness was worth it.”

Soon after realizing they were ready to spend the rest of their lives with each other, Hagans and Ford decided to get engaged. On December 5, 2020, the couple exchanged rings and soon began to prepare for their wedding.

WEDDING PREPARATIONS

Ford uploaded a photo on Facebook and penned down a heartfelt caption with it, confessing that she couldn’t wait to be Hagans’ wife. The couple had planned to get married on May 1, 2021, not knowing they would have to part ways soon.

Hagans and Ford started planning for their big day, and one of the first things they had to do was book a venue. Later, they had to finalize the guest lists, invites, and stamps.

Almost a month after their engagement, the couple excitedly drove to multiple wedding venues to select the one they liked the most. Little did they know that would be the last time they enjoyed each other’s company.

THE LAST GOODBYE

On January 16, 2021, Hagans and Ford visited a barn venue. After inspecting the location, they discussed that they still had many things on their to-do list while walking toward their cars. Before leaving the venue, Ford said:

“I love you so much. I hate leaving you.”

Hagans sat in his car and headed towards his home in Opelika, while Ford took the road that led to her house in Montgomery. At around 7 p.m., Ford met a deadly accident at an intersection on her way home, where another vehicle high-speed crashed into her car.

SOMETHING WAS WRONG

After reaching home, Ford messaged his fiancée, but she didn’t reply. When he called her, he was directed to her voicemail. After waiting for her response to no avail, he contacted Ford’s roommate because he was sure she must have reached home by then.

When her roommate said Ford hadn’t arrived, Hagans immediately grabbed his car keys and headed towards Montgomery. On his way, he saw police vans and ambulances parked at an intersection. When Hagans got out of his car and inquired about Ford, the paramedics took him to a crushed car, making him weak in the knees. He recounted:

“I was thinking, ‘there’s no way she could be gone.’ “

THE UNFORTUNATE DAY

Just a mile from her house in Montgomery, Ford passed away after the high-impact collision. Hagans found it hard to believe that the love of her life had left him alone a few months before their wedding.

Moreover, he felt worse knowing Ford’s family had banned him from attending her funeral. Having no choice, he had to stay home while Ford’s family bid farewell to her.

After Ford’s family had buried her, Hagans visited her grave multiple times while he grieved for her. He often brought flowers for her until the day a police officer showed him an arrest warrant in his name.

LITTERING

Almost a year after Ford’s death, Hagans stopped at a traffic signal in Opelika, where he was pulled over by police. Soon, three police cars surrounded him, and an officer told him they came to arrest him for littering.

When Hagans sat in the backseat of the police car, he read Ford’s father’s name on the arrest warrant. He had filed a complaint against Hagans for leaving planter boxes on Ford’s grave.

Hagans felt his late fiancée’s father should have warned him before signing the arrest warrant. He knew the grave was Ford’s family’s property, but he had no idea the police would arrest him a year after Ford’s death.

THE FATHER’S THINKING

Tom Ford, Hannah Ford’s father, said he had picked ten wooden planter boxes from his daughter’s grave during the past year. He recalled that the first planter fell apart when he picked it. He said:

“It was a rotten piece of wood with some pictures on it, so I discarded it.”

In the court hearing, Ford said that the cemetery didn’t allow such things and that he had conveyed his message to Hagans through a friend. He filed a complaint when he still saw planter boxes on the grave. The police arrested Hagans after he put the 10th box on the grave. Ford said:

“I find no joy to be here, and I did everything I could not to be here.”

Hagans was ordered to pay about $300 as a fine. The judge also suspended a 30-day jail sentence as long as Hagans doesn’t put flower boxes on his fiancée’s grave again.

What would you do if you were in Tom Ford’s shoes? Would you contact Hagans before filing a police case? We’d love to know what you think about this story!

Click here to read another story about a bride-to-be who wore her white wedding dress to her fiancé’s grave instead of walking down the aisle.

Anomama