The Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) lie in the cemetery. It encompasses over and contains 9 miles of roads. It is the largest city-operated cemetery in the United States.
The headstone of Lilly E. Gray, located in the far northeast of the cemetery (Plot X-1-169-4E), has long attracted attention and visitors from all over America, on account of its unusual inscription:
Little is known of Lilly Gray's life beyond basic records. On July 10, 1952, she married Elmer Gray, a serial felon who had served time in the Missouri State Prison, the Oklahoma State Prison, the Colorado State Prison, and, for eleven years, in the Utah State Prison. Lilly and Elmer were 72 and 71 respectively. Lilly died in 1958 of natural causes with no indication of foul play. The reason for the inscription is not known, but her husband had shown some indications of possible paranoia, and presumably ordered the headstone. But much amateur speculation has surrounded the grave, and rumors and legends of paranormal or Satanic associations have circulated.
The tomb of Jacob Moritz, sometimes referred to in local legends as "Emo's Grave," is associated with alleged paranormal activity. According to these tales, actions like walking around the grave six times with lights or chanting the name "Emo" are believed to cause supernatural events. Reported occurrences include sightings of red eyes through the tomb's grate or a face in the mausoleum window. Some stories suggest that the grave glows at night or associates "Emo" with different historically inaccurate figures, such as a miner.
Jacob Moritz was an early Utah politician and founder of the Salt Lake Brewery, was interred in this tomb after his death in Germany in 1910. His ashes were initially placed in the mausoleum, but due to repeated vandalism, the urn was removed, and its location is now unknown.