KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County prosecutors charged a man earlier this week in connection with damage and vandalism at Elwood Cemetery earlier this year.
Just before 2 a.m. on April 2, Kansas City, Missouri, police received a call about a prowler at the cemetery, located at 4900 E. Truman Road.
Court documents filed this week reveal officers found that one mausoleum had broken stone that was from the faceplates of tombs. The casket from the tomb that was broken into was pulled into the main common area inside the mausoleum.
In total, the cemetery estimated that the amount of damage exceeded $10,000.
Officers also recovered materials believed to have been left behind by the suspect. Detectives had the items tested for DNA, which revealed a possible connection to Luther C. Turner.
In August, detectives located Turner at the Western Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center in Missouri and asked him about the April incident. While Turner denied any involvement, he did provide a DNA sample.
The results of that sample matched the DNA found on the items recovered at the cemetery.
On Thursday, prosecutors charged Turner with felony stealing of more than $750, felony property damage, and felony knowingly disturb, destroy, remove, vandalize and damage a marked or unmarked burial site.
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