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Men Accused Of Taking Metal From Cemetery Vaults
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Published: February 29, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - ST. PETERSBURG - A former employee at a cemetery, assisted by an accomplice, raided a cemetery for metal parts, such as those used in hip and shoulder replacements, that were left over from cremations, Pinellas County sheriff's authorities said.
The pair then sold the roughly 1,500 pounds of titanium pieces as scrap for $1,500, sheriff's spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda said.
Jack McWilliams, 19, a former employee of Memorial Park Cemetery, and Vincent Paul Marlyne, 42, both of St. Petersburg, are accused of breaking into two interred vaults at the cemetery at 5750 49th St. N. on Jan. 26, Barreda said. They allegedly used two-by-fours to pry them open.
The pieces of metal were sold two days later in Tampa, she said.
McWilliams was arrested on Thursday; Marlyne today Each was charged with injuring or removing a tomb or monument, or disturbing contents of grave or tomb, which is a third-degree felony.
The cemetery received the titanium pieces from funeral homes after people had been cremated, Barreda said. The metal remnants were then put into secured cement vaults and buried in an unmarked part of the cemetery grounds. There they were being held in what is called "perpetual care" in accordance with state law, she said.
Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( egotrip ) on February 29, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Losers.
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Posted by ( MeghanAM ) on February 29, 2008 at 5:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
GROSS.
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Posted by ( Salt ) on February 29, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Would'nt surprize me if they were not resold in China or something....
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Posted by ( chuckyd1 ) on February 29, 2008 at 5:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Who cares! The dead are gone, and these parts are metal, NOT body parts. At the most, they should be charged with theft.
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Posted by ( chuckhill ) on February 29, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
chuckyd1,
When you were a baby were you dropped on your head?
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Posted by ( slow2anger ) on February 29, 2008 at 6:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"The metal remnants were then put into secured cement vaults and buried in an unmarked part of the cemetery grounds" Yea Right! The cemetary just was beat to the punch! As a person with two titanium hips, I will certainly tell my family to request them, sell them and give the money to grandchildren, charity, or someone OTHER than the cemetary. They will have received enough of my family's money! Cause I ain't leavin nothin!!!
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Posted by ( ufbull ) on February 29, 2008 at 6:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Here is the thing .. what they did was wrong .. but when the people were cremated... the funeral homes should recycle the metal to stay "GREEN" and give the families a price break on the service . I say change something there and if someone has metal parts in them ..it should kinda be like being a organ donor
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Posted by ( sandee ) on February 29, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
now our drivers license will read "organ/any metal parts donor
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Posted by ( DarthManhandle ) on February 29, 2008 at 8:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
i wonder if these are the same guys that stole the cremation last week?
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