Inset: Seth Davidson (Fishers Police Department). Background: Oaklawn Memorial Gardens — Washington Park Cemetery in Fishers, Ind., where Seth Davidson was reportedly involved in unauthorized grave digging (Google Maps).
In Indiana, a cemetery employee allegedly exhumed a grave site to recover an urn containing a gold ring, telling authorities that he “couldn’t stop thinking” about the item, as per police reports.
Seth Davidson, 24, was discovered covered in dirt “from head to toe” after allegedly completing the grave excavation on Monday night at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens cemetery in Fishers, according to a police press release.
An officer with the Fishers Police Department had observed a “suspicious” vehicle in the area and stopped to investigate. Davidson emerged from a nearby wooded area moments later, police say.
“The officer spotted a shotgun and paraphernalia in plain view,” the FPD release says. “While the officer was investigating the vehicle, Seth Davidson emerged … covered in dirt from head to toe and confirmed he owned the vehicle.”
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Davidson allegedly told police he worked at Oaklawn and recently buried an urn on its property with a gold ring inside of it, which he wanted to pawn off.
“He confessed that he couldn’t stop thinking about the ring, prompting him to dig it up to pawn it,” the FPD release says. “Upon noticing the officers approaching his vehicle, Davidson hid the ring behind a dumpster.”
Davidson allegedly guided officers to the ring and also directed them to the grave he had dug up, according to police.
“Fresh dirt indicated recent disturbance,” the release says.
Oak Lawn confirmed to detectives that Davidson was an employee and that he only disturbed one grave site. The family of the deceased has been notified by police. Davidson faces charges of cemetery mischief, criminal trespass and theft.
