What does the "weeping willow" represent in the novel, All the Sinners Bleed?

The weeping willow on Tank Billups’ property symbolizes the horror of Jeff Spearman and Royce Lazare’s crimes. Early in the novel, Titus and his deputies find a painting of the tree—entitled The Secret Garden—among Spearman’s belongings. In the shadow of the tree (which Titus recognizes from his days hunting on Billups’ property), the police find the bodies of numerous murdered children. In this way, the weeping willow itself comes to represent the grief and horror that surrounds this discovery.