CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Patricia Sue Osborn, a 71-year-old woman from Corpus Christi, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft and exploitation following allegations that she failed to deliver headstones to grieving families after receiving payment for them.
Osborn, the former owner of Corpus Christi Memorials, was taken into custody on Sunday after being indicted in December on five felony counts. Since then, additional charges have been filed against her.
This arrest follows a series of reports by KRIS 6 News and KZTV that began in 2021, uncovering the company’s failure to provide headstones despite having received payments from customers. Last year, 6 Investigates revealed that at least 60 people had contacted KRIS 6 News, sharing similar stories of ordering and paying for headstones or burial markers that were never delivered.
The company had suddenly closed its doors months before, without informing its customers of the closure.
Samantha Villarreal, one of the affected customers, had used a small payout from her father’s life insurance to purchase a headstone from Osborn’s company. She expressed her disbelief at the situation, telling 6 Investigates at the time, “I just can’t imagine anyone doing this to people who are grieving their loved ones.”
Despite making several payments for the headstone, Villarreal experienced ongoing delays in delivery. When she requested a refund, her request was reportedly ignored. “I don’t think I have been so upset in my life because it’s my dad,” she said.
Osborn remains in custody, and a bond hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
