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Cemetery Headstones Removed, Found Dumped Around City

Posted: 5:43 pm EST December 29, 2005

Police in Ormond Beach are trying to figure out who removed headstones from a cemetery and dumped them around the city. One of them was found in a park after two people saw it sitting along a trail with no signs of how it got there or where it came from.

It's not the strangest thing Officer Richie Preis has ever done, but finding the bases of the traveling tombstones may turn out to be the most challenging.

The stones appeared over the past two days in Ormond Beach. One was found at the Public Works building on Orchard Street, the other in River Bend Park. Pat and Bob Behnke found that one.

"Saw it lying in the woods just off the trail," Pat said.

Now Pearl L. and John H. reside at the Ormond Beach Police Department and officers like Preis are scouring local cemeteries to find their real resting place.

Because the stones have only first names, investigators believe they are probably from a family plot. But because there is no last name, they said, finding the grave site may be impossible.

"We know these types of things can be very traumatic for the family. We're gonna try to determine where they belong as soon as possible," Officer Preis said.

The stones were most likely removed as a prank, but it wasn't easy. They weigh more than 100-pounds apiece. Police literally have to cart them around.

So far, no matching graves have been found.

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