FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two days after vandalism at a Franklin County church cemetery was discovered, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that two juveniles had been charged in the case.
Over 60 headstones at the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery on Owenton Road in Franklin County were damaged or toppled in the early morning hours of March 24, according to the sheriff’s office.
Two juveniles confessed, and they were charged with criminal mischief and desecration of venerated objects, according to the sheriff’s office.
"There were some tears from the juveniles," said Det. Barnes, the lead investigator on the case. "I do think there's some remorse on their part."
Beth McDonald was at the cemetery Tuesday to do research on her husband’s relatives, when she learned that her husband’s family’s tombstones had been knocked over.
“How can we rectify it, because setting one of these stones up is not an easy task and it’s not for an amateur to do,” McDonald said. “They’re very heavy stones.”
Vicki Gaines, who lives in Frankfort, came to the cemetery Tuesday to check on her family members’ tombstones. Her family’s stones were safe, but she said the vandalism was heartbreaking.
“This is flat meanness, it’s just mean,” Gaines said.
Gaines also had some ideas for how the people responsible should have to make amends.
“They ought to be required to set up every one of these,” Gaines said. “Wouldn’t hurt ‘em to do some community service.”
Josh Rucker, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, said he hopes good will come out of what happened.
"We see throughout the Bible horrible things done, in most cases God uses them for good," Rucker said. "Bad things turned to good. That's our hope for this horrible situation. That some good can come out of it somehow, some way."
