Widow Says Mover Hijacked Husband's Urn; Left Belongings On Highway

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NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A widow needs Consumer Justice after she says a mover took her money and the urn meant for her husband's ashes.

"You lose your husband and then you lose everything you own to someone you trusted," Elizabeth Holland told CBS11 Consumer Justice reporter Cristin Severance.

Holland's husband Thomas died of a heart attack in March 2015.

She hired Kenneth Barton of Anytime Movers to transport her things from Euless to Dover, Ohio in October.

Holland said she saw a flyer in a store window and the employees vouched for Barton.

"His fee was $3,000 and I thought well, that's better than $5,000 and I didn't have much money," said Holland.

Holland said Barton and his girlfriend packed the truck the night before the move and couldn't fit all of the items.

"He said, 'I have storage'," said Holland.

Holland said he put half of her belongings in the trailer and the other half in the storage unit.

"Boxes, tubs that were full of stuff, a rocking chair owned by my husband's grandfather, half of a household you might say," Holland described.

But Barton never made it to Ohio.

"He was crying on the phone. He said, 'please pray for me… my van… my trailer broke down'," said Holland.

Barton broke down in Tennessee. He told Holland, "my trailer is sitting on I-40 on the highway. I'm leaving it. If you want it, come and get it."

Holland had to pay a second company through movers.com to get the trailer to Ohio.

Now, she said, Barton won't return her money or her belongings in storage -- including the urn purchased by family for her husband's ashes.

"It's hard to talk about it. Every night, I go to bed thinking where are they," said a very emotional Holland.

CBS11 caught up with Barton at the storage facility. Here is what he had to say.

Barton: I tried to help her.
I'm trying to find my way in life.
I'm young.
I'm 30 years old.

Barton, who claims to have ten years of moving experience gave many reasons about what went wrong.

Barton: The night before I spent from 5 p.m. in the evening to 2 a.m., loading her stuff.
I went and got 4 hours of sleep.
Cristin: That's your choice.
Barton: Listen… shhh. Then I have all this stuff I'm responsible for.

Barton said he had to leave the trailer on the highway.

Barton: The people that were with me; had to get them home.
I went broke on the road.

Barton: I could not go on.
Cristin: Ken, again, you are a professional mover.
Barton: I'm human.

Holland said he had half of her belongings in storage but Barton claimed he only had a few tubs and never had the urn.

"I want to sit down and cry. All the stuff that Thomas and I collected -- it's all gone," said Holland.

Barton did tell CBS11 he would repay Holland.

"I doubt it," said Holland.

Consumer Justice reached out to the funeral home where Thomas Holland was cremated, David Clayton and Son's in Duncanville.

After they heard what happened they graciously offered to replace the urn for the Holland family so Elizabeth has a place for her husband's ashes.

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