Man who stole body parts from crypt in Jefferson County receives maximum sentence
The man who stole body parts from a private mausoleum at Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County last fall was sentenced Friday.
DENVER (KDVR) -- A man who stole body parts from a private mausoleum at Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County last fall was sentenced Friday.
John Wayne Belknap received the maximum sentence of three years in the Department of Corrections plus time served for additional misdemeanor charges, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced in a post on X.
Belknap pleaded guilty last month to charges of abuse of a corpse, criminal mischief and theft, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
The charges stem from Oct. 11, 2023, when deputies responded to the Crown Hill Cemetery on reports of damage to a mausoleum and stolen remains. The sheriff's office said it appeared that someone had broken into the crypt and pried open the casket to remove body parts overnight.
Investigators found DNA evidence left behind at the scene and were able to identify Belknap as a suspect. He was arrested on Oct. 25, 2023 and pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2024.
The stolen remains were returned to the cemetery and "restored to their crypt with the dignity they deserve," the sheriff's office said.
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