Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are two of the most infamous names in history. While much is known about their lives of crime, far less is known about what happened after they were betrayed and gunned down in Louisiana.
No, the notorious lovebirds weren’t buried together, they’re not even in the same cemetery. Bonnie’s remains are now in northwest Dallas, while Clyde was buried some nine miles away in West Dallas.
What happened to this pair of outlaws after their deaths? Find out everything you want to know about the complete history of Bonnie and Clyde right here.
Are Bonnie and Clyde Buried Next to Each Other?
No, they aren’t. Bonnie Parker was buried in Fish Trap Cemetery but had to be moved to Crown Hill Memorial Park in northwest Dallas in 1945 due to frequent vandalism. On the other hand, Clyde Barrow was buried in Western Heights Cemetery in West Dallas.
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Did Bonnie and Clyde Die Together?
Bonnie and Clyde died together. The father of Henry Methvin (a friend and gangmate of the couple) betrayed them to law enforcers. Six police officers lay in ambush on the highway for the notorious pair and riddled the gangsters’ car with 167 bullets.
Bonnie and Clyde died that day.
People from the nearby town heard about what happened and hundreds of people descended on the car, which contained the bodies of these two lovers.
Desperate to get a “souvenir,” people began grabbing and ripping off whatever they could, clothing, hair, shell casings from the weapons, someone even cut off a piece of Clyde’s ear!
Undertakers attempted to embalm the pair for their trip back to their hometown, Dallas, Texas, but the bodies had so many bullet holes that the embalming fluid wouldn’t stay inside the bodies!
The undertakers also had a difficult time keeping the crowds at bay. They finally took to spraying the crowd with embalming fluid to keep them from stealing the bodies of Bonnie and Clyde.
Once the couple was back in Dallas, they went to separate cemeteries. There was a second grave dug next to Clyde’s, supposedly for Bonnie, but she didn’t end up there.
What happened to this couple who were content to be together in life but are denied being together in death? Keep reading.
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Why Were Bonnie and Clyde Buried Separately?
Bonnie once wrote a poem that ends with this phrase:
“Some day they’ll ”go down” together
And they’ll bury them side by side
To few it means grief
To the law it’s relief
But it’s death to Bonnie & Clyde”
Bonnie apparently believed they would be buried together, but this didn’t happen. Why not?
You can put this one on Bonnie’s mother, Emma.
Emma Parker was not happy that her daughter had hooked up with Clyde Barrow. In fact, on one visit, Clyde tried to convince Emma that her daughter would be fine, and that they would move just 3 miles away from her when they settled down.
Emma replied to Clyde:
“Moving just 3 miles from me?
Lord, child, you’ll be dead pretty fast if you try that.”
Every time Bonnie saw or spoke to her mother, Emma would try to persuade her daughter to ditch that “worthless Clyde Barrow.”
When Emma was asked if she would allow Bonnie to be buried next to Clyde, she replied:
“Clyde had her for 2 years. Look what he did to her. She’s mine now. No one has any right to her.”
No one would ask Emma Parker about the burial of her daughter again.
- Read: Poems of Bonnie Parker
Don’t Relatives Want the Pair Together?
Yes, they do.
Bonnie’s last two surviving relatives, Rhea Leen Linder (whose real name was Bonnie Ray Parker but had it changed by a well-meaning aunt) and her daughter, state that they wouldn’t mind Bonnie being moved to spend eternity next to Clyde.
One of Clyde’s relatives, Buddy Barrow, also says that his family always wanted Bonnie to be buried next to Clyde.
Buddy Barrow says that one of his uncles pulled out a mulberry tree that was started growing on the empty plot next to Clyde and that the family made sure that Cumie, Clyde’s mother, was buried on the other side of the empty plot, ensuring that, at any time, Bonnie could be moved to lie next to Clyde.
If the relatives want this move made, what is the hold-up? (excuse the pun)
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What Is Preventing Bonnie Parker from Being Moved?
There are several problems preventing this famous couple from being reunited in death.
First, the owners of the Western Heights Cemetery balked at the idea.
Most likely, they fear vandalism and worry that they will be responsible for increased security measures as a result. Linder has been told that it would take a court order to get Bonnie moved, and she says that she has no money to hire an attorney.
Even if Linder should get the court order approved, there is still a matter of what it costs to exhume Bonnie’s body, move the coffin, and then rebury it next to Clyde.
There will also be the cost of a new headstone and possibly a new coffin.
Western Heights Cemetery is also in poor condition. It could use new walkways, new lighting, perhaps even a bit of landscaping.
Linder and Barrow have ideas about how they might raise the money, such as a crowd-funding campaign. Or maybe a movie studio would like to do a documentary, and they might be willing to foot the bill for the move for exclusive rights, but nothing’s final at the moment.
Whatever their plans, they will need to do this fairly soon.
Linder is 87 years old. She has one daughter who is childless. This is the end of Bonnie Parker’s family, and it is her family who needs to give permission to move Bonnie’s body.
Can You Visit Bonnie and Clyde’s Gravesite?
Yes, you can.
Both Bonnie and Clyde are in public cemeteries, so you can stop by and visit them anytime.
How to Locate Clyde’s Grave
To visit Clyde and his family (they are all buried there), you need to go through the front gates at Western Heights Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. Veer to the left and you will be sure to find it.
You will see a gate around Clyde’s headstone, but that is to prevent cars from driving over it, not to keep people out.
Clyde and his brother Marvin, also known as Buck, are buried together on one side. There is a gap on Clyde’s side of the grave where Bonnie should be.
Keep looking towards the left and you will find Clyde’s mother, Cumie, and his father Henry.
Don’t be surprised to see shotgun shells or gun casings and liquor bottles left by fans surrounding Clyde’s headstone.
While Clyde’s grave frequently has visitors, the cemetery is located in a not-so-nice part of Dallas, so be sure to go with friends and never go after dark.
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How to Locate Bonnie’s Grave
Bonnie lies near her mother in Crown Hill Memorial Park, also in Dallas, Texas. Again, frequent visitors tend to leave mementos at the grave, so don’t be surprised to find flowers, poems, and coins.
To find Bonnie’s grave, drive through the front gates and veer left. Stop at the first tree you see. Bonnie and her mother are buried near the shrubs. There’s an upright marker, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.
Final Thoughts
The debate about whether Bonnie and Clyde should be buried together still continues to this day.
Some feel that Bonnie’s mother had every right to want her daughter by her side and that Bonnie should stay where she is.
Others feel that Bonnie’s wishes should be honored, and her poem was quite clear about where she wanted to be laid to rest.
Whether Bonnie and Clyde stay apart for all eternity remains to be seen.
