Cemetery News
Index:
Grave Vandals [11-06-2000]
Oak Lawn Cemetery [11-07-2000]
Cemetery Felony Vandalism [11-08-2000]
11-06-2000
Grave Vandals
VANDALISM OF THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY THIS WEEKEND HAS HATTIESBURG CITY OFFICALS AND ITS RESIDENTS UPSET. AUTHORITIES ESTIMATE THE DAMAGE COULD COST OVER 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR. IN THIS REPORT JOHN BROWN TAKES US TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME... IT'S A CRIME HATTIESBURG POLICE SAY JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. POLICE ARRIVED AT THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY TO PROCESS EVIDENCE LEFT BEHIND FROM A WEEK END OF VANDALISM... AUTHORITIES SUSPECT A GROUP OF PEOPLE ENTERED THE CEMETERY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT PUSHING OVER AND DAMAGING HEADSTONES. POLICE SAY THE RAID SHOULD HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL HOURS AND ADD THEY FOUND 200 MONUMENTS BROKEN OR OUT OF PLACE WITH THE REMAINS OF ONE GRAVE SITE EXPOSED <brown, erry, dixon,and montegue are just a few of the families that were affected by the vandalism.
BENNYE KORNDORFFER THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1897 AND CITY LEADERS SAY THEY PLAN TO OFFER A REWARD FOR THE CAPTURE OF ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE CRIME. REPORTING FROM DOWNTOWN I'M JOHN BROWN FOR NEWS SEVEN. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING WHO MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME CALL HATTIESBURG CRIME STOPPERS AT 582-STOP YOU COULD RECEIVE A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR YOUR INFORMATION..
11-07-2000
Oak Lawn Cemetery
HATTIESBURG POLICE CAUGHT ONE SUSPECT AND A MANHUNT IS UNDERWAY FOR ANOTHER PERSON IN CONNECTION WITH THE VANDALISM AT OAK LAWN CEMETERY. AUTHORITIES SAY 19 YEAR OLD PAUL HAWKINS THE 3RD WAS ARRESTED MONDAY EVENING. HE'S BEING CHARGED WITH FELONY VANDALISM OF A CEMETERY. POLICE SAY ABOUT 200 HEADSTONES, STATUES AND GRAVE COVERS WERE OVERTURNED OR BROKEN AT OAK LAWN THIS PAST WEEKEND. HATTIESBURG OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN OUTRAGED THAT SOMEONE WOULD VANDALIZE ONE OF THE CITY'S OLDEST CEMETERIES. POLICE ESTIMATE THE DAMAGE AT MORE THAN 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS. IF CONVICTED, HAWKINS COULD GET UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AN A FIVE THOUSAND FINE.. At the onset it look like vandalism but state statue covers vandalism of public property like cemeteries and if the damage is over a certain dollar amount, which this is then it's classified as a felony. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP RESTORE THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY, BANK CORP SOUTH HAS SET UP AN ACCOUNT TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE CLEAN UP EFFORT.
11-08-2000
Cemetery Felony Vandalism
PAUL HAWKINS III OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE IN COURT WEDNESDAY. HAWKINS WAS FORMALLY CHARGED THIS MORNING WITH ONE COUNT OF FELONY VANDALISM OF A CEMETERY. HE IS ACCUSED OF DAMAGING MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED MONUMENTS AND HEADSTONES AT THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY LAST WEEKEND. AUTHORITIES ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A SECOND SUSPECT IN THE CASE WHO MAY BE A JUVENILE. DAMAGE TO THE CEMETERY IS ESTIMATED AT 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS. ASSISTANT D-A BOB HELFRICH SAYS MORE CHARGES ARE PENDING... AUTHORITIES SAY THEY PLAN TO HAVE A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGES DONE TO THE OAK LAWN CEMETERY BY FRIDAY..
[from
WDAM TV-7 News]
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