Three charged with stealing $42,000 worth of vases from local graves

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Published on 10/15/2009
Written by Scott Harper

More than 150 grave ornaments, worth more than $42,000, have been recovered at a local recycling center and three men have been charged with desecration of gravesites and grand larceny.
Billy Joe Parson, 32, along with 23-year-old Rodney Swails Jr., both of Gapway Road in Andrews, and Corey Avant, 18, were arrested after they allegedly tried to sell a s batch of vases taken from Pennyroyal Memorial Gardens, Morning Glory Cemetery and a graveyard in Andrews.
The manager of the Pennyroyal Gardens called the Sheriff’s Office Monday after walking the property and seeing a lot of vases missing from gravestones.
He told deputies a total of 81 bronze vases — weighing 10-15 pounds each — had been stolen.
The manager said the vases cost an average of $275 each.
Investigators visited the recycling center just to see if anyone had tried to sell the vases at that location.
A worker confirmed they had purchased the vases and had placed them in a shed with other items they felt were suspicious.
There were about 50 vases in the shed allegedly sold by Parson and Swails.
Not long after the deputies left the business, they received a call the two suspects were back at that location trying to sell more of the vases.
During the investigation it was discovered 76 more vases had been stolen from the other two cemeteries, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Neil Johnson.
The officers returned and took the three into custody without incident. They are charged with grand larceny and desecration of graves.

I do not believe that the recycling center was "holding" the objects to see if they were legit. It seems to me that the objects were hid in a shed with other suspect items until they could be melted down for profit. The problem is that the vases were inquired about before the recycling center got an opportunity to make money off of them. I mean come on, they had almost $14,000 worth of bronze vases in a shed, they admitted the vases were suspect, and they bought them from a couple of young boys. Why would you not ask where they come from or at least report your purchase to authorities? They had to have known that these objects were stolen. So, I do not give props to the recycling center because i think that it was only a matter of time before they tried to make a profit. Then, those vases could not have been recovered.

Posted by shannon on 10/19/2009

I went out to the cemetary after this happened to check on my family and friends that are buried there, and was very saddened to see that some of them have been victimized. It is sad when the living are the victims, and it is even sadder, when the victims are no longer here. You three are very, very pathetic!! I'm glad they posted your pictures in the paper that way when you get out of jail, and are seen on the streets, you will be know as the "stupid idiots that had nothing better to do than steal from the dead!" Get a real job!! I'm sure Hardees and McDonalds hire all the time. Unitl then, I hope yall are coming up with a good reason as to why you did this, cause God is going to ask you this someday!! Until then...YOU ALL ARE IDIOTS!!!! I hope you grow up and get a life real soon!! You are the LOWEST of the LOW...and that is SAD!

Posted by on 10/19/2009

I think that it was a good thing that the recycling center they went to bought the vases and held them. If they refused who knows where they would've ended up and if they would have ever been retrieved. I give kudos to the recycling center.

Posted by on 10/15/2009

Why would this business purchase cemetery vases from 2 youngins? Anyone should know that the south holds dear anything remotely associated with a grave. These places need to be regulated much like the pawn shops. Requiring ID and paperwork from sellers. Did the cops look for the Santee Electric wire while they were at it?

Posted by Lee Padgett on 10/15/2009

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