NJ man caught urinating on ex-wife’s grave in Hudson Valley, NY

A New Jersey family is seeking justice after discovering their late mother’s ex-husband, a resident of Bergen County, has repeatedly urinated on her grave not far across the state border in New York’s Rockland County.

See video below.

Michael Murphy, of Dumont, had set up video cameras to see who was desecrating his mother’s final resting place after he and his siblings found several deli-counter-style plastic bags of feces left on Linda Torello’s grave at Tappan Reformed Church Cemetery, off Old Tappan Road.

A 68-year-old Bergenfield man was ticketed for public urination by Orangetown police just after 6 a.m. on Sept. 18, according to the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.

NJ man accused of urinating on ex-wife's NY grave (Michael Murphy via Facebook)

The man, whose name has not been publicly confirmed, had been married to Torello for about a year, more than four decades ago, according to Murphy and one of his sisters, Renee Eichler Barragan.

Torello died in August 2017, according to her obituary.

“Thank you for all your prayers this week!!! We finally were able to identify and take action against the ”person” that was desecrating my mother's grave. Sadly it’s my birth father that has pulled away from the family in 1976,” Barragan wrote in a post on her own Facebook page, with a link to a Daily Voice report.

Not only had the 68-year-old man urinated at the cemetery four days in a row — but his current wife was apparently with him, waiting in their SUV as he did so, as seen on video footage taken by Murphy.

“Don’t care how much animosity you have — should never happen,” Murphy said in a separate Facebook video to his personal page.

He also voiced hope for a “Linda’s Law” to try and discourage such desecration in the future, by stiffening potential penalties.

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

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Filed Under: Bergen County, Bergenfield, Dumont

Categories: New Jersey News