Grieving Man Charged For Placing Flowers By Fiancée’s Grave

Winchester Hagan’s fiancée, Hannah Ford, 26, died in January 2021, in Alabama.

They had first started dating in 2019, and later, he asked her dad for permission to marry her. But, her father wanted them to get to know each other better.

After a while, the couple separated for close to a month. In January 2020, they reconciled without her dad’s blessing. A month later, they were engaged.

The couple had planned to marry on May 1, 2021.

After visiting a wedding venue, the couple went to their separate residences. Hagans didn’t hear from Hannah when she should have been home.

He went to look for her and approached the scene of an accident where he learned that Hannah had died in the crash.

Hagans recalls that Hannah’s father wouldn’t allow him to attend the funeral or see Hannah’s body. He also refused to return her engagement ring.

As Hagans dealt with his grief, he remembered he promised Hannah that he would never give her cut flowers. Thus, he created a flower box and placed living flowers in them. He then put them next to Hannah’s grave.

Recently, Hagans was pulled over for expired tags. Officers then informed him of a warrant for his arrest, authorized by Hannah’s father, Tom Ford. It was for littering. Hagans said that Ford never contacted him before taking this action.

When Hagans questioned the city of Auburn, he was told that outside markers are usually cited if a relative complains. They added that “setees, urns, boxes, shells, toys, and some other items aren’t permitted next to a grave or lot.”

Even though he was arrested, Hagans stated that he would make 1,000 boxes of flowers for Hannah if he had to do it all over again.