Colorado man sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing body parts from mausoleum

A man who pleaded guilty to charges in connection with stealing body parts from a mausoleum in October 2023 was sentenced to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on Friday. Denver police officers arrested John Wayne Belknap on Oct. 25, 2023, about two weeks after the crime. 

On Oct. 11, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the Crown Hill Cemetery located at 7777 W. 29th Avenue. When deputies arrived, they found severe damage to the crypt front on a private mausoleum as well as damage to the crypt and casket inside. 

Investigators believe Belknap entered the cemetery during overnight hours, forced entry into the crypt and gained access to the casket. The casket, which contained the decedent's remains, had been pried open and portions of the body were removed. 

Belknap pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, criminal mischief, and theft.