Gravedigger desecrated grave of child, coffin rolled down hillside: cops
A shocking incident unfolded in West Virginia when a gravedigger unearthed the corpse of a baby buried over 40 years ago and callously tossed the casket down a hill at Baylous Cemetery in Salt Rock. The gruesome act occurred on March 27, as Matthew Fortner, 49, was digging a new grave at the cemetery. The casket, buried in 1982, was disturbed by Fortner, who then rolled it down the hill, causing the lid to open and the skeletal remains of the infant to be flung out onto the grass.
The horrifying scene was witnessed by a couple who were decorating gravestones in preparation for Easter. They immediately reported the desecration to the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Doug Adams condemned the act, stating, “It takes a sick individual, in my opinion, to desecrate a grave and mess with a corpse — period.”
Following the incident, Fortner was arrested and charged with disinterment or displacement of a dead body, damage to a cemetery, and violating the protection of human skeletal remains. He is currently held on a $105,000 bond and could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Fortunately, authorities confirmed that the disturbed grave was an isolated incident, with no other burial plots found to be tampered with at the cemetery. The name of the child, who was just months old at the time of burial, was not disclosed. The child’s remains were taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston for further examination.
Interestingly, Fortner has a criminal history, having been convicted of murder in 1997 and sentenced to life in prison with mercy in 1999. He was released in 2008, as reported by WSAZ. The disturbing nature of the recent incident has raised concerns about the sanctity of burial grounds and the respect owed to the deceased.
The community in Salt Rock is reeling from the shocking discovery, and authorities are working to ensure that such a heinous act does not happen again. The investigation into the incident continues, with efforts being made to bring justice for the desecrated infant and their family.
