Possible grave robbery investigated
Thursday, October 16, 2003
A possible grave robbery is being investigated by the Routt County Sheriff's Department.
The grave, in northwest Routt County, is that of a man buried in 1898, Hayden Police Chief Jody Lenahan said. Hayden police received a call about 11:15 a.m. Thursday reporting that the grave appeared to have been dug up. The case was then transferred to the sheriff's office.
Fresh digging, apparently done by humans rather than animals, was found at the gravesite, Sheriff John Warner said. The headstone was dug up and found laying next to the grave, he said.
The grave, which stands alone and is not part of a cemetery or family burial plot, belongs to a member of a longtime Routt County family, Warner said. He did not release the man's name or the exact location of the gravesite because he first wants to inform four or five area families related to the man about the vandalism.
Warner did not say whether human remains had been removed from the grave, but said the case is under investigation.
Anyone arrested in connection with the vandalism could face criminal charges related to knowingly digging up human remains and defacing a burial site.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Requires free registration
Posting comments requires a free account and verification.
Or login with:
OpenID