A shocking incident at a West Virginia cemetery has led to the arrest of a gravedigger after he allegedly desecrated the remains of an infant buried more than four decades ago. Authorities say the man carelessly disposed of the child’s casket, leading to the remains being flung from the coffin.
The disturbing episode unfolded on March 27 at Baylous Cemetery in Salt Rock, where 49-year-old Matthew Fortner was digging a grave for a new burial plot. During the process, he allegedly struck and unearthed a small casket interred in 1982, according to the Cabell County Sheriff ’s Office.
Rather than treating the discovery with the respect and care required, officials say Fortner heartlessly tossed the casket down a nearby hillside. As it tumbled down the slope, the lid flew open, sending the skeletal remains of the baby into the air.
The horrifying scene was witnessed by a couple who were visitinUg the cemetery to decorate graves ahead of Easter. Disturbed by what they saw, they promptly notified local authorities.
“It takes a sick individual, in my opinion, to desecrate a grave and mess with a corpse — period,” said Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams, expressing disgust over the act.
Fortner was arrested on April 3 and is now facing several charges, including disinterment or displacement of a dead body, damaging cemetery property, and violating laws protecting human skeletal remains. He is currently being held on a $105,000 bond and, if convicted, could face up to five years in prison.
Sheriff’s officials emphasized that only one grave — that of the infant, believed to be just a few months old at the time of burial — appeared to have been disturbed. The identity of the child has not been disclosed.
“We do think this is an isolated incident. We don’t think this is going to be a trend or anything,” Sheriff Adams reassured the public.
Following the incident, the child’s remains were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston for examination.
Adding a grim dimension to the story, Fortner has a previous criminal history. In 1997, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life with mercy two years later. He was released from prison in 2008.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The disturbing episode unfolded on March 27 at Baylous Cemetery in Salt Rock, where 49-year-old Matthew Fortner was digging a grave for a new burial plot. During the process, he allegedly struck and unearthed a small casket interred in 1982, according to the Cabell County Sheriff ’s Office.
Rather than treating the discovery with the respect and care required, officials say Fortner heartlessly tossed the casket down a nearby hillside. As it tumbled down the slope, the lid flew open, sending the skeletal remains of the baby into the air.
The horrifying scene was witnessed by a couple who were visitinUg the cemetery to decorate graves ahead of Easter. Disturbed by what they saw, they promptly notified local authorities.
“It takes a sick individual, in my opinion, to desecrate a grave and mess with a corpse — period,” said Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams, expressing disgust over the act.
Fortner was arrested on April 3 and is now facing several charges, including disinterment or displacement of a dead body, damaging cemetery property, and violating laws protecting human skeletal remains. He is currently being held on a $105,000 bond and, if convicted, could face up to five years in prison.
Sheriff’s officials emphasized that only one grave — that of the infant, believed to be just a few months old at the time of burial — appeared to have been disturbed. The identity of the child has not been disclosed.
“We do think this is an isolated incident. We don’t think this is going to be a trend or anything,” Sheriff Adams reassured the public.
Following the incident, the child’s remains were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston for examination.
Adding a grim dimension to the story, Fortner has a previous criminal history. In 1997, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life with mercy two years later. He was released from prison in 2008.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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