What to Know
- A man in Decatur was arrested after stealing a tombstone.
- The tombstone dates back to the 1800s.
- Ralph Hunt, 24, is charged with damage/ destruction to a human burial.
One man in Decatur may be taking the phrase “digging his own grave” to a whole new level.
Ralph Hunt, 24, was arrested Monday, accused of stealing a tombstone from Wise County's Deep Creek Cemetery that dated back to the 1800s, police said.
Hunt is charged with the state felony of criminal mischief damage/ destruction of a human burial, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said.
Originally, investigators thought that the tombstone robbery may have been connected with major vandalism and destruction at that same cemetery back on April 23 of this year, but investigators said Hunt is likely not related to these vandalism cases and that those “suspects are still at large.”
Hunt has previously been charged with theft and sexual assault to a child, according to the Wise County jail records.
He is being held at the Wise County Sheriff’s Office on $10,000 bond. Crime Stoppers will pay $5,000 for anyone who has more information on Hunt at 940-627-TIPS.
