Police are looking for the suspect or suspects involved in a case of vandalism at Henryetta's Westlawn Cemetery.Vandals strike an area cemetery knocking over about 30 headstones. It happened in Henryetta where today police are making the rounds trying to find those responsible. This is just one of the headstones knocked over. But each one of them matter, because this cemetery connects the town with it's past and it's something most people here still honor. "My heart was just broke when I saw what had happened to this.. that people could do this."
Frances Thompson lost not one son but two. Both are buried at Westlawn cemetery. It was Terrance's headstone that was knocked over and that's opened up this mother's wound.
"Something was gone. Something was taken away from us and I'm sure the other people feel the same way."
More than 2 dozen headstones were knocked over. Police tell us it probably happened last Wednesday night and was reported on Thursday. Angels tipped over and what was supposed to be final resting place... disturbed.
"What happened out there was a crime. "
Police Chief Steve Norman calling this case a priority with an officer now assigned to it full time.
"Today we've been out canvassing the area.Talking to all area residents that live around the cemetery and that has actually provided us with a couple of leads so we're going to run those down and see where they take us. "
He says his both his parents are buried at Westlawn too, so this crime is personal. Was it juveniles? He's not sure, but he thinks more than one person committed the crime..and that they'll eventually talk and get caught. But Frances Thompson would like to get ahold of them first. She wrote them a letter she wants to put in the local paper.
"I think you and your parents should be made to pay for all the expense of straightening all the stones."
Putting the headstones back in place is the next step. It will take far more work. Since this is a city owned cemetery, the work falls on city workers.
