Home / Crime and Justice / Moss Unearths Cemetery Grave Robbery Scheme
Moss Unearths Cemetery Grave Robbery Scheme
5 Mar
Summary
- Four cemetery workers moved over 100 bodies for plot resale.
- Moss found with remains proved crime occurred recently.
- Forensic botany led to convictions in the Alsip, Illinois case.
Four cemetery workers at Burr Oak cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, were convicted for a grave robbing scheme that involved moving over 100 bodies nearly two decades ago. The workers dug up human remains and dumped them elsewhere in the cemetery grounds to resell the burial plots for profit. The case gained a new dimension when scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago assisted the FBI in 2009.
Dr. Matt von Konrat, head of botanical collections, was instrumental in analyzing a small clump of common pocket moss found with the reburied remains. This moss, Fissidens taxifolius, did not grow in the area where the bodies were found but was abundant nearby, indicating it had been moved with the corpses.
The state of the moss's metabolism, measured by its light absorption, provided critical dating evidence. Scientists concluded the moss had been buried for less than 12 months. This finding directly contradicted the defense's claim that the crimes occurred years earlier, before the accused employees began their tenure.
This forensic botanical evidence proved vital in securing convictions. The case underscores the significant role natural history collections and specialized scientific expertise can play in criminal investigations, revealing unexpected applications of botanical science.
