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Man charged with desecrating corpse from Civil War-era tomb
WFRV.COM ^ | 08/25/2005 | AP

Posted on 08/25/2005 8:26:58 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (AP) A young man performing court-ordered community service in a cemetery has been charged with desecrating a Civil War-era tomb, pulling apart the skeleton, and posing for pictures with the skull and other bones.

``It's bizarre, absolutely bizarre,'' police Lt. Richard Siemasko said. ``I can't even imagine what was in his head. This is just a whole new level of weird for me.''

Neil J. Goodwin Jr., 19, of Salisbury, was working at the city's Old Hill Burying Ground on Aug. 17 as part of his court-ordered community service for a burglary conviction.

Prosecutors said Goodwin, who was on probation for breaking into an apartment building last fall, kicked in the thin marble entrance to the tomb marked ``1863 Pierce,'' and twisted off the decomposed corpse's spine, collarbone and skull.

Police said they got an anonymous tip on Saturday, and later received three photos of Goodwin holding the bones. Police would not say who took the pictures or identified Goodwin, but they do not expect to make more arrests.

Investigators found the skull in a hole about 15 feet from the tomb.

Goodwin was arraigned Wednesday in Newburyport District Court on charges of desecrating a corpse and breaking into a tomb, both felonies. He was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail and is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 22.

Siemasko said the city plans to hire a funeral home to piece the skeleton back together, so it can be replaced in its casket.

Police were still trying to determine the exact identity of the grave's occupant, but the body could be that of Civil War veteran Willard Balch Pierce, according to curator Jay Williamson of the Historical Society of Old Newbury.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: cemetary; cemetery; civilwar; crime; tomb
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

"Prosecutors said Goodwin, who was on probation for breaking into an apartment building last fall, kicked in the thin marble entrance to the tomb marked ``1863 Pierce,'' and twisted off the decomposed corpse's spine, collarbone and skull."

- Pardon my language but....WHAT AN ASSHOLE!


21 posted on 08/25/2005 9:19:08 AM PDT by Frenetic
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Isn't it great that the liberal judge gave him community service so he could be rehabilitated rather than put him in prison to punish him. After all, he is just a burglar. Jail time might hurt is self esteem. Give him another 6 months of probation so he has a second second chance.


22 posted on 08/25/2005 9:33:21 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: BostonianRightist

"It happened in Massachusetts, they'll probably sentence him to community service."
Wrong. They will elect him to the Senate someday.


23 posted on 08/25/2005 10:01:28 AM PDT by DogBarkTree
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To: atomicpossum

Hey!!! I wear black concert shirts, have tattoos... But my IQ is about 150. I'm from Mass. though and there's always a lot of tombstone desecration here too. Kids have no respect anymore. My last name is Peirce too, chances are that soldier is some sort of cousin. Interesting post though.


24 posted on 08/25/2005 10:09:44 AM PDT by MadManDan
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To: Interesting Times
Old Hill Newbury cemetery ping...

Grim. That's a beautiful old graveyard. Apparently this was unsupervised community service. Too bad Messachusetts doesn't have chain-gangs.

25 posted on 08/25/2005 12:51:26 PM PDT by zot (GWB -- four more years!)
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To: MarineBrat
Undoubtedly I'll be paying his rent for much of his life.

Thanks. That will sure relieve the burden on the rest of us. :-)

26 posted on 08/25/2005 12:56:30 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
>Undoubtedly I'll be paying his rent for much of his life.

Thanks. That will sure relieve the burden on the rest of us. :-)

ROFL! :)

27 posted on 08/25/2005 1:20:53 PM PDT by MarineBrat (We are taxed twice as much by our idleness. -- Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Non-Sequitur; churchillbuff; stainlessbanner; stand watie; bourbon; LibertarianInExile; ...
"grave desecration was more a southern trait."


Come on Non,you can do better than that. One article, speculative at best, does not infer a trait. Maybe they should write an article on Howard's soldiers desecration of graves at the Elmwood cemetery in Columbia, S.C.
28 posted on 08/25/2005 11:29:14 PM PDT by smug (Tanstaafl)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
What hope can you have for a Moron that commits a crime while serving time for another offense?
I'd suggest a lobotomy but doubt there is a frontal lobe to pierce.
29 posted on 08/25/2005 11:39:08 PM PDT by smug (Tanstaafl)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
I can't even imagine what was in his head.

Obviously not his brains, if he ever had any.

30 posted on 08/25/2005 11:40:59 PM PDT by FOG724 (RINOS - they are not better than leftists, they ARE leftists.)
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To: smug
Come on Non,you can do better than that. One article, speculative at best, does not infer a trait. Maybe they should write an article on Howard's soldiers desecration of graves at the Elmwood cemetery in Columbia, S.C.

Speculative? Documented is more like it.

31 posted on 08/26/2005 3:39:03 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur
"....grave desecration was more a southern trait."

Touche sir, Touche!

32 posted on 08/26/2005 3:44:19 AM PDT by RushLake (Proud direct descendent of the 24th Michigan (The Iron Brigade), 1stUSS, and 41st Ohio)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

the south shall rise again . . .


33 posted on 08/26/2005 9:55:27 PM PDT by Big Guy and Rusty 99 (Liberals are the feces that is produced when shame eats too much stupidity!)
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