Graves at historic Arizona cemetery desecrated

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Several graves at a historic cemetery in Arizona have been desecrated.

According to the Tombstone Marshal’s Office, someone stole money left under rocks at some of the graves at Boothill Cemetery.

“It is a symbol of respect and remembrance to leave currency or trinkets at the sites,” Tombstone Marshal Jim Adams said in a tweet. “Maybe Karma will catch them before I do,”

Several legendary cowboys and outlaws are buried at the cemetery, including Marshal Fred White, Billy Clanton, and Frank McLaury.

“We as a society are judged by the way we treat our dead,” Adams told 13 News. “These are sacred sites, and this is a sacred place, and these are these people’s final resting place. This is a place to pay respects, not to try and get a couple of bucks.”

Adams said the graves were first discovered desecrated around mid-October.

According to Adams, an individual or group of individuals, believed to be locals, overturned the rocks from the grave sites to take any cash and valuables left behind.

“These graves are very old and historic, we’re talking 1880s,” he said. “The ground out here is really hard, and the graves are not deep, so there’s big piles of stones that have been here for 140 years.”

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