In 2014, Andy Ogles raised nearly $25,000 through a GoFundMe campaign called “Lincoln’s Place,” saying the money would build a children’s burial garden with benches and a statue to honor his stillborn son. Reporters later found that no garden was ever built, and cemetery officials said Ogles never followed through despite offers to help. When questioned, Ogles gave no records showing how the money was used and changed his explanation several times—first claiming regulations stopped the project, then saying the funds weren’t enough, and later that the goal had shifted to helping families directly. He provided no proof of any such spending, and at least one donor asked for and received a refund after he couldn’t account for the money.
- In 2014, Andy Ogles launched a GoFundMe called “Lincoln’s Place” using a photo of his stillborn son, promising a children’s burial garden with benches and a statue; donors gave nearly $25,000, and GoFundMe confirmed the funds were disbursed to him. (newschannel5.com)
- Independent reporting echoed that NewsChannel 5 confirmed with GoFundMe that the money was sent to Ogles and summarized the garden features donors were promised. (independent.co.uk)
¶ The promised project was never built, and local professionals say he never followed through
- Reporters physically checked the cemetery where donors expected the memorial and found no children’s burial garden, no benches, and no statue. (newschannel5.com)
- A funeral director and the cemetery manager said Ogles never returned to finalize plans, despite offers to help make the project feasible. (newschannel5.com)
- Contemporaneous pricing showed burial plots at the family’s cemetery cost about $1,200 in 2014—meaning the funds could have purchased many plots—and two cemeteries said they were willing to work with him. (newschannel5.com)
¶ Ogles has not accounted for the funds and gave shifting explanations instead of documentation
- When asked to provide records showing how the donations were used, Ogles and his office provided none and he refused to answer questions. (newschannel5.com)
- A year after the fundraiser, he told The Tennessean that burials are “heavily regulated” and said none of the GoFundMe money had been spent. (newschannel5.com)
- Later, he claimed the amount raised wasn’t enough and that the “purpose evolved” to helping families directly—yet he offered no proof of such expenditures. (newschannel5.com)
- At least one donor said they demanded and received a refund after Ogles couldn’t explain where the money went, while other donors said they weren’t offered that option. (newschannel5.com)