Tuesday, August 26, 1997
Two more charged in cemetery, church desecration
By ROY A. JONES II
Regional Editor
ANSON - Two more Abilenians have been charged with desecrating
a 107-year-old church and headstones in the Fairview Cemetery
during a drinking spree on Aug. 16.
Jones County Sheriff Robby Wedeking said evidence recovered
in the cemetery, located northwest of Anson, helped solve the
case in which damages are expected to total more than $50,000.
Charged with criminal mischief, a third-degree felony punishable
by up to 10 years in prison, are Huford Lee Mann, (erroneously
identified in Monday's editions as Richard Lee Mann), 18; Justin
Saul Tucker, 17; Christine Danielle Benton, 17, and Darren Lee
Herrington, 19.
Only Herrington was still at large Monday. Wedeking said he
is thought to be in Austin. Mann remained in Jones County Jail
in lieu of bond, while Tucker and Benton were free on bond. Bond
was set at $50,000 for each defendant.
Wedeking said some of the suspects told investigators they
spent several hours drinking and turning over headstones in the
cemetery for no particular reason. They also damaged the interior
of the 1890 church building which adjoins the cemetery in northwest
Jones County.
"They didn't really know why they did it. They were just
out drinking and it got out of hand," the sheriff said. "It
must have taken a long time because it took me 2-1/2 hours just
to write down the names on the headstones they destroyed."
He said the vandals pushed over at least 85 headstones, breaking
many of them into several pieces. Some of the monuments are so
old they will be difficult to repair or replace, driving up the
damage estimates, he said.
Destruction of property valued at more than $20,000, but less
than $100,000, is a third-degree felony.
Inside the church, windows were shattered, pews overturned,
and the pulpit, a table and lamp were damaged. While the old church
no longer hosts regular services, the building is still used for
funerals and was not abandoned, the sheriff said.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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