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Cemetery Vases Stolen from Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery
Meridian, MS— On March 19, 2016, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office charged Robert Eugene Davis, of Meridian, with multiple counts of grand larceny of merchandise in excess of $1000.00 (Miss. Code Ann. § 97-17-41). The charges stem from cemetery flower vases that went missing from graves at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery located on Old Highway 80. Scores of flower vases were taken from graves at the cemetery.
“Cemetery thieves stealing bronze from graves need to know they cannot sell them in Mississippi and when they try to, we intend to have them arrested,” says Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.
On March 10, 2016, Davis attempted to sell several cemetery vases at Scotty’s Recycling in Philadelphia, MS. Scotty’s Recycling declined to purchase the vases and alerted the Secretary of State’s Office of the attempt to scrap the vases. The Secretary of State’s Office Regulation and Enforcement Division began an investigation using its statewide scrap metal reporting system in conjunction with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office.
Cemetery flower vases are typically molded from a bronze alloy, which has salvage value as scrap material.
“We are working closely with the Secretary of State’s Office on this matter,” says Sheriff Billy Sollie. “We certainly want any family members who have been affected to come forward.”
Anyone with additional information regarding the missing vases can contact the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office at 601-482-9806 or the Secretary of State’s Office at 601-359-9055.
(1) Any person who shall be convicted of taking and carrying away, feloniously, the personal property of another, of the value of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, but less than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), shall be guilty of grand larceny, and shall be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for a term not exceeding five (5) years; or shall be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or both. The total value of property taken and carried away by the person from a single victim shall be aggregated in determining the gravity of the offense.(2) Any person who shall be convicted of taking and carrying away, feloniously, the personal property of another, of the value of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or more, but less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), shall be guilty of grand larceny, and shall be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for a term not exceeding ten (10) years; or shall be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or both. The total value of property taken and carried away by the person from a single victim shall be aggregated in determining the gravity of the offense.(3) Any person who shall be convicted of taking and carrying away, feloniously, the personal property of another, of the value of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) or more, shall be guilty of grand larceny, and shall be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for a term not exceeding twenty (20) years; or shall be fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or both. The total value of property taken and carried away by the person from a single victim shall be aggregated in determining the gravity of the offense. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-17-41, et. seq.
