Vandals damage tombstones in another historical cemetery

Once again, major damage has been reported in an older area cemetery.

The Vandalia Police Department reported that 25 headstones in Fairlawn Cemetery had been turned over or broken Wednesday night. The Illinois State Police crime scene unit was called to collect evidence and process the scene.

“We are all saddened and disgusted by such a senseless act of vandalism,” read a post on the Vandalia Police Department’s Facebook page.

Last month, nine gravestones went missing from Caseyville Cemetery. The older sandstone headstones did not have monetary value beyond their historic significance: They all dated back more than a century to the late 1800s.

In February, someone damaged monuments and tombstones and left dirty diapers and dog poop all over Alton National Cemetery. That same month, vandals damaged 154 headstones in the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery, a suburban Jewish cemetery in St. Louis.

And in January, logging trucks were found driving through a historic black cemetery between Millstadt and Centreville, knocking over and breaking century-old headstones.

There’s a $1,500 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction in the Vandalia case. Anyone with information is asked to call Fayette County Crime Watchers at 618-283-1986 or Vandalia police at 618-283-0556.

This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 11:36 PM with the headline "Vandals damage tombstones in another historical cemetery."