Metal thieves strike historic cemetery
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Police are investigating a rash of metal thefts – but not where anyone would expect.
Police said eight vases were stolen some time over the holiday weekend in the Forest Memorial Gardens, officials believe it’s likely more than 20 are gone.
“This is a memorial to their ancestors,” said Kelly Grubbs, manager at Forest Funeral Home Cremation & Cemetery. “This is a place they come to pay respect.”
Grubbs has spent the past several days taking phone calls from frustrated family members whose loved one’s graves were desecrated.
“They’re devastated, they say, well, why would somebody do that?"
“It’s just sad that somebody would do that. It’s just wrong,” said Janet Hasseltine who is planning a memorial for her father-in-law.
Hasseltine said the crime isn’t just vandalism, it’s grave robbery.
“You have people stealing all the time off of construction sites and everything else for the copper,” she said, “But to desecrate somebody’s grave, that’s too personal.”
The heavy bronze vases are part of a headstone memorial, and when brand new they cost $300.
Police believe the thieves will sell the stolen vases for scrap.
“That vase is pretty heavy,” said Grubbs. “You get some power going and you can break the chain.”
Grubbs said Forest Memorial Gardens has been operating since 1857, more than 40 years before Washington gained its statehood. He added that some of Olympia’s founders are buried inside the cemetery.
He also hopes whoever is responsible would return the vases.
“You really don’t have any right to this and I’m not sure why you thought this was okay to do,” he said. “This belongs to people that paid for it.”
Grubbs said a similar crime happened 5 years ago and the vases were recovered from nearby scrap yards. He’s hoping for the same luck this time around.