A graviger in West Virginia has been charged after he has reportedly desecrating the corpse of a baby boy in a cemetery.
Matthew Fortner, 49, was digging a grave on Baylous Cemetery in preparation for a funeral when he reportedly struck the baby's coffin, according to 13 news.
Fortner, who has an earlier murder judgment, then threw the coffin over a hill near the grave and the corpse of the baby ended up in the middle of the cemetery, where a couple discovered it while decorating tombstones before Easter.
They first saw baby clothing on March 27 at the cemetery before they found the child's remains, which it was believed to be five days old when he was buried, according to WSAZ.
Researchers had looked at the graves at the cemetery to see if none had been disturbed and not found. They would later find out that Fortner had excavated another grave when he discovered the baby's coffin instead.
“It's like someone has excavated a grave and there is a baby. The coffin was thrown over a hill, “said a man who called 911, according to WSAZ.
Fortner was arrested on Wednesday and accused of relocating a dead body and deliberately remembering information about the disruption of human, skeletal remains.
He did not argue and he placed Bond the next day after his arrest, according to records.
Matthew Fortner, 49, was digging a grave on Baylous Cemetery in preparation for a funeral when he reportedly hit the baby chest. Fortner, who has an earlier murder order, then dumped the coffin over a hill near the grave and the corpse ended up in the middle of the cemetery
Fortner was arrested on Wednesday and accused of relocating a dead body and deliberately remembering information about the disruption of human, skeletal remains. He did not argue and he placed Bond the next day after his arrest
A few discovered the remains while decorating graves before Easter
He is confronted with a maximum of five years in prison if convicted.
“In my opinion, a sick person is needed to profan a grave and junk with a corpse,” Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams told WSAZ.
According to the authorities, the baby boy died in 1982. No other information was released about the child.
The Baylous Cemetery Board of Directors said it was “sad to hear that an employee of a contractor used by Baylous Cemetery is accused of committing this crime.”
'We continue to collaborate with the office of the Sheriff of Cabell County and thank them for the diligent work to resolve this case. We hope that justice will be served, “said the 13 news.
Fortner has previous criminal convictions, including murder, according to WSAZ.
The gravigger was condemned to life with grace for the murder of 1997 in 1999 after he was guilty, the outlet said.
He was released in 2007 from prison on conditional release.
The indictment was later set aside and later he was sentenced to theft of the first degree served over time, the outlet said.
