Body Count May Rise in Chicago Grave Robbing Scandal

By: Mike Ballou
Topics: Daily Blotter

Video Courtesy of ABC Station WLS-TV

COOK COUNTY, ILL. (CBS) The body count may rise at a Chicago cemetery, where police have already found hundreds of desecrated graves, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's comments during a Friday press conference.

"We're expecting a lot more families today, especially coming up this weekend. We're pleading with them for patience, because we had about 3,000 people here yesterday," Dart said.

Four suspects are already in custody in, what police say, was a plot that ripped up as many as 300 graves in a historic black cemetary in order to resell the plots for cash.

Many of the bodies were moved to a mass grave, but police are finding body parts in the woods and it's not yet clear where all the bodies have gone and how many are missing.

Carolyn Towns, Keith Nicks, Terrence Nicks, and Maurice Dailey have all been charged with dismembering a human body, a felony that carries up to 30 years in prison.

Reverend Jesse Jackson also spoke at the press conference. He suggested families might want to start a class action suit and offered legal assistance.

"Some people need some legal organization as they prepare for a class action suit," he said.

PREVIOUSLY ON CRIMESIDER
July 10, 2009 - Grave Trouble for Alleged Grave Robbers
July 9, 2009 - 300 Bodies Dug Up for Profit, Say Police

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by millerme8090 July 11, 2009 6:57 PM EDT: I am amazed that everyone is suprised by this issue. This type of behavior is going on all the time. Does anyone remember Ray Brent Marsh? What about the cemetery issue in Clayton county, Georgia where a landfill company wanted to dig up bodies for a LANDFILL! It was said that they dug up bodies and put them under Hartsfield Jackson Airport. Now no one can prove it. Where was the outcry and legal help for them from Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton? Absolutely AMAZING!!! As an update, the bodies of those slaves are being uprooted and no one is watching what they are doing with the bodies. (maybe they are in the landfill) ;-(; Reply to this comment


by LCCLYDE July 11, 2009 10:01 AM EDT: A white mans comment, whites will screw over whites as blacks will blacks. When there money involved the worst will come out.This crime is sick,ghoulish and has no black or white.Its about HUMAN BEINGS.Lets all hope there is prosecution to the fullest for those found guilty of this crime.And comfort for the families soon.; Reply to this comment


by rwsmith29456 July 10, 2009 6:49 PM EDT: retired gustav wrote "Another good reason to be cremated!" How about that case where the crematorium was just dumping bodies in the woods rather than cremating them!?!? Businesses that require respect and trust cannot be respected or trusted. They are only interested in collecting fees.; Reply to this comment


by thusspokezara July 10, 2009 6:45 PM EDT: Poor Yorik. I knew him, Horatio.; Reply to this comment

by ABM_21 July 10, 2009 6:13 PM EDT

by saturn05 July 10, 2009 2:44 PM PDT
Leave it up to Jesse Jackson when money is involved
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Stupid...

Reply to this comment


by hankvreeland July 10, 2009 6:40 PM EDT: If you mean Mr. Jackson the adjective is not near harsh enough.


by ABM_21 July 10, 2009 6:12 PM EDT: by -----One-American----- July 10, 2009 2:45 PM PDT
Obama's ACORN is going to great depths here to get more voters registered.

Well, at least six feet deep, anyway.
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Stupid; Reply to this comment


by retiredgustav July 10, 2009 6:08 PM EDT: Another good reason to be cremated!; Reply to this comment

by dakotaclark July 10, 2009 6:02 PM EDT

TYPO ALERT !!

"...at a Chicago cementary, where ..."

Hmmm... Is a cementary a place where they make cement?

Cementary, could be a mispelling of cementary as a mispelling of the word cemetery.

A cemetery is "an area set apart for or containing graves, tombs, or funeral urns, esp. one that is not a churchyard; burial ground; graveyard."

Reply to this comment


by noirviolette July 10, 2009 11:17 PM EDT: Alot of people look at a typo-error as no big deal,but as for me it is my biggest pet-peeve of stories,glad you pointed this one out.With the computer age so many young people read all kinds of stuff,and every day on every news site on just about every story I read there are typo's with misspelled words and poor grammer.I think it's a horrible message to be sending out to young people who are learning.Makes all these reporters look stupid or just plain lazy.