Thief believed to have tampered with grave at Mississippi cemetery to steal jewelry, sheriff reports

Published 5:44 am Thursday, July 24, 2025

Authorities are investigating a disturbing incident where a thief is believed to have tampered with a grave at a Mississippi cemetery to steal jewelry from a corpse.

Holmes County Sheriff Willie March reports that his department received a call Tuesday evening from a man visiting a loved one’s grave at the Second Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church cemetery in Durant. The caller noticed a grave that had been tampered with.

Upon arrival, deputies made a gruesome discovery: the grave had not only been exhumed, but the casket itself was busted open around the top. Sheriff March suspects the thief’s motive was to take jewelry from the deceased, as the bottom portion of the casket remained undisturbed.

The sheriff said he was unsure why the particular grave was targeted. His office approached the family of the deceased to discuss the possibility of exhuming the remains, but the family requested that the grave be covered back up.

The incident remains under investigation.