Thieves steal human heads from Footscray General Cemetery
A mysterious 4am visitor has sparked a police response at Footscray General Cemetery days after two graves were disturbed.
Victoria
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Police have descended on Footscray General Cemetery following sightings of a man seen acting “suspiciously” on Saturday morning.
It comes just days after investigators began hunting a thief who stole two human heads from the same graveyard on January 28 and February 1.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers patrolling the nearby area in the wake of the two previous desecrations received reports the man was acting suspiciously at the cemetery about 4am.
The man evaded officers who could not locate anyone in the cemetery during their search.
“A search was conducted of the cemetery where the man was reported to be seen but no damage was located,” the spokeswoman said.
The mysterious sighting follows revelations investigators were considering the possibility a potential ‘thrill-seeker’ was behind the first two attacks, which left two mausoleums badly damaged and coffins open in plain view of mourners walking through the cemetery.
While police did not believe the two disturbed graves were not connected to one another, officers began patrolling the cemetery’s surrounding areas while CCTV cameras were installed after the second theft that left the families of those whose remains were taken devastated.
Detective Acting Inspector Ben Jarman of Footscray CIU this week said investigators were examining whether there had been other criminal offending related to graves at Footscray in recent days.
Police have not pinpointed a motive for the crimes, but dismissed the theory that the theft was an act of satanic worship, which emerged amid rumours that letters to the devil were found at the scene.
Footscray General Cemetery has several entry points, with a steel gate guarding its main entrance on Geelong Rd and a small, wire gate and fence on Francis St that is padlocked overnight.
The Herald Sun has made repeated attempts to contact the cemetery following the desecrations.
CCTV COULD HOLD KEY
Police are expected to analyse CCTV from sites surrounding a western suburbs cemetery after the theft of two human heads in the past week.
It is believed there is no footage of investigative value within the grounds of the
Footscray General Cemetery on Geelong Rd.
But other cameras could yield comings and goings from the immediate area at the time of the thefts.
A major police investigation has been launched to catch who was behind the sickening crimes.
Items have been removed by detectives for forensic examination, including personal effects from the resting places of two elderly people of Italian background.
Those whose heads were stolen are not linked in any way.
The crimes have caused widespread community outrage since being revealed by the Herald Sun on Tuesday.
The motive for the atrocities is still unclear but police say they have no evidence of Satanist links.
THRILLSEEKER THEORY
Sick thrillseeking is believed to be the motive for the bizarre theft of two human heads from a graveyard in Melbourne’s inner west.
Police on Wednesday said it appeared nothing of value had been stolen during the horrific removal of body parts at the Footscray General Cemetery in recent days.
And the victims were not connected, indicating the sites were selected at random and diminishing the likelihood of it being the work of someone with a grudge against particular people.
A major police inquiry has been launched into the depraved raid on two mausoleum sections of the Geelong Rd cemetery between last Friday and Tuesday.
The precise reason for the thefts is not yet clear but there is no doubt, whatever the motive, such activity is the work of a sick mind and making an arrest will be a high priority for Victoria Police.
One theory – that the theft was an act of satanic worship, which emerged amid rumours that letters to the devil were found at the scene – was ruled out by police late on Wednesday night.
It is believed elderly people of Italian descent were buried in the two desecrated graves.
One other grave was disturbed but no body parts were removed.
Families of those whose remains were taken have been left devastated by the sick acts.
Detective Acting Inspector Ben Jarman of Footscray CIU said investigators would examine whether there had been other criminal offending related to graves at Footscray in recent days.
He said the police inquiry began when passers-by stumbled across coffins that had been left open in plain view.
Insp Jarman said theft did not appear to be a motive for the crimes. “There were personal effects, but nothing of value was missing. It appears that the human remains are the primary focus of the offender,” he said.
Insp Jarman said CCTV footage trained on the cemetery had been ramped up after the second head was found to have been stolen.
He confirmed the intruder had left evidence, but declined to say what it was.
While he could not confirm if there was more than one vandal, he said the atrocities had been “very disturbing” for the victims’ families.
“It’s very distressing for the families,” he said. “They expect their loved ones to be put to rest and to have peace.”
Police would be now be patrolling the area around the cemetery, which has a low wire perimeter fence and a gate on Francis St that is unsupervised and open to patrons during visiting hours.
A sign next to the small wire gate advises visitors it is temporarily padlocked at night, with a lock that could be seen next to the gate.
CCTV cameras installed on Wednesday morning could be seen throughout the cemetery.
The second mausoleum attacked has been bolted shut with plywood. No CCTV cameras appeared to have been focused on its entrance.
The cemetery, which opened in 1869, has had 19,000 burials.
This may be the most bizarre cemetery investigation since the murder inquiry surrounding Rocky Iaria more than 20 years ago.
In 1998, Mr Iaria was found buried in a woman’s grave at the Pine Lodge Cemetery, near Shepparton.
He had been shot seven times, wrapped in plastic and covered in lime.
Mr Iaria had disappeared seven years earlier while on bail awaiting trial over a $1m cash and jewellery robbery in Bendigo.
Police suspect the 20-year-old’s death was payback for that heist.
Anyone with information on the inquiry can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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