LAS VEGAS (FOX5) —A Las Vegas Valley woman has built three memorial crosses for her homeless friend who died near Dean Martin Drive and Arby Avenue, but someone keeps removing them.
Essence Bacon put up the latest cross on Thursday, adorned with purple and white roses and butterflies to remember 34-year-old Melissa Nicole Bernson. The cross sits next to a storm drain where Bernsen lived underground.
“I have to make sure that I put her favorite colors. And she loved butterflies. She gave me a butterfly necklace one time. So, the butterflies kind of represent her,” Bacon said.
Bacon said Bernson helped others, even while homeless.
“She just had a big heart. She would go out and help anybody,” Bacon said, including getting food on Thanksgiving for others when Bernson was homeless. She also says her friend got clothes for some homeless people at Goodwill.
Friend died after heart episode in tunnel
Bacon says Bernson died after having a heart episode in an underground storm drain in 2022.
Bacon, who was homeless herself at one point, made the first cross a couple years ago. But it was taken in December, just before 2026. She made another one, but someone took that just a couple days after the New Year. She made a third cross and placed that on site Thursday.
After posting about the missing crosses online, some people wondered if other homeless people took the wooden crosses to make fires to stay warm.
“Most of the homeless people that she was friends with or whatever, like they wouldn’t, you know, they know better,” Bacon said.
But Bacon said some homeless people new to the area may not know the story behind the cross. Whoever is taking the crosses is leaving a metal post that supports the crosses. Bacon said another possibility is someone taking them for their own memorial cross.
“I think it’s selfish. It’s not for them. I mean, I’ll make them one if they need one,” Bacon said.
Bacon hopes this third cross will stay put.
“I hope this one stays up. I really do…she deserves to be remembered,” Bacon said.
County has no written policy on memorials
Clark County officials looked into the location of the cross. It sits near a storm drain which is on county property. But the county believes the cross is on private land. The land is currently for sale. FOX5 reached out the owner, and someone helping sell the property, but so far hasn’t heard back. Bacon says she would relocate the cross if the company didn’t want it on its property.
Clark County officials said they typically wouldn’t send someone out to look at a memorial cross on its property. It released the following statement to FOX5.
“Clark County has no codes or written policy that permit the construction and/or maintenance of a roadside memorials within the public right-of-way. The County treats roadside memorials with caution and respect; however, we will move a memorial if it is causing a safety hazard or capacity problem on a public roadway or sidewalk,” said the county.
The current cross is several yards away from the road.
FOX5 also asked NDOT about how it treats roadside memorials.
“With safety as our first goal, unauthorized memorials in NDOT rights-of-way are removed if they pose a traffic safety concern. While roadside memorials can bring comfort to loved ones, they can also create visual distractions for drivers, physical obstructions, items becoming windborne, conflicts with construction or maintenance activities, or drawing pedestrians to locations not designed for foot traffic.
Nevada Revised Statute 408.423 does not allow objects to be placed within NDOT right of way without authorization. NDOT does not issue permits for roadside memorials. When memorials are located within NDOT right of way and pose a traffic or safety concern, they are removed. Removed items are typically stored at the nearest NDOT maintenance facility for approximately 30 calendar days to allow loved ones an opportunity to retrieve them,” said NDOT.
Bacon says if the current cross ends up missing, she will make another cross for her friend.
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