Beloved Weeping Willow Dedicated To Slain Couple Chopped Down
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) - The search is on for the person who destroyed a beloved memorial in Longmont.
The vandal or vandals cut down a weeping willow tree the community planted in memory of Sean and Staci Griffin. They owned Boulder Stove and Flooring and were shot and killed by a disgruntled employee. The tree had been a way for the couple's only daughter to remember her parents.
Avery Griffin was just 13 years old when she learned her parents had been murdered.
"She was a little girl who was in shock," said Kelly Graham, Avery's friend's mother. "This tree had more meaning that just a tree."
The tree stood for five years until early Friday morning when somebody for an unknown reason to a chainsaw to it.
"She had a place to back when she's processed … her grief. And she had a place to come back and remember her mom and dad and remember Colorado," Graham said.
Graham had worked with Avery to also build a bench featuring a message of love from Avery to her parents.
"She was lovely when she sat and built the bench and designed the tiles," Graham said.
Despite the damage Graham is confident the community will make it right for Avery.
"The good will rally … we'll make this a place she can still come back to."
The Tree Farm in Longmont is looking to replace the tree.