Father and son charged with desecration of human remains after raid of Newark temple

Yahoo! News ^ | 10/09/02 | AP

[MikalM]

NEWARK, New Jersey -

A raid on the basement temple of a religious sect uncovered human body parts allegedly stolen from cemeteries and the remains of several animals that may have been sacrificed by worshippers.

The human remains, including three skulls, were found Monday in caldrons set up on altars in a building owned by Eddie Figueroa, 56, who authorities believe is a high priest in the Palo Mayombe sect.

Figueroa and his son, Eddie Figueroa Jr., 35, pleaded innocent Tuesday to possession of stolen property and desecration of human remains.

Authorities found the animal remains later in the day when they dug up the rear yard of the building.

It was the second time in two months that Newark authorities have recovered stolen body parts from worshippers of the sect, whose priests use human remains in their rituals. The raid grew out of an investigation that began in July, when some remains were stolen from a crypt at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.

Palo Mayombe is a derivative of Bakongo, a West African religion that slaves brought to Cuba in the 19th century. It was brought to the United States by Cuban immigrants who arrived within the past few decades.

While most Palo Mayombe worshippers do not steal human remains, members of the local sect have taken bones from above-ground crypts, said Dean Maglione, an assistant Essex County prosecutor.

"We received a number of calls while we were prosecuting (another theft) case," Maglione told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "There is obviously a lot of this going on and it's of great concern to us."

[JesseShurun]

Palo Mayombe is a derivative of Bakongo, a West African religion that slaves brought to Cuba in the 19th century. It was brought to the United States by Cuban immigrants who arrived within the past few decades. While most Palo Mayombe worshippers do not steal human remains, members of the local sect have taken bones from above-ground crypts, said Dean Maglione, an assistant Essex County prosecutor.

Completely harmless, they were just searching for God.

[ikka]

Palo Mayombe is a derivative of Bakongo, a West African religion that slaves brought to Cuba in the 19th century

Ain't diversity wonderful!

[Thorondir]

Yep. Diversity taking us from melting pot to chamber pot.

Liberalism must be crushed!

[Lion's Cub]

This is unbelieveable. Are we going to tolerate headhunters or cannibals in the name of diversity?

[Lion's Cub]

More benefits from our immigration policy...

[Cacique]

Sounds like a good idea. I would not mind using the techniques of the Jivaro to shrink some democrat heads. Hillary would look nice on a mantle above the fireplace.

[apillar]

Well this proves it...

The Democrats are desparate enough to try ANYTHING to win this election!

[dennisw]

Our wonderful immigrants..... Doing the Satan worship that Americans are too spoiled and lazy to do.

[andy_card]

When I'm dead, I really don't care whether my corpse will be "desecrated" by some wacko religious cult, enjoyed by necrophilliacs, etc. I won't have any use of my body, so why can't somebody else?

DUCK!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Then, by all means, leave YOUR remains to the Palo Mayombe so they can play croquet with your skull.

[GirlNextDoor]

[andy_card]

Then, by all means, leave YOUR remains to the Palo Mayombe so they can play croquet with your skull.

I may just do that. Is the donation tax-deductible?

[justshutupandtakeit]

Yes but a body is only worth about $3.00

[blam]

Get these SOB's out of my country!!!

[martin gibson]

What ever happened to the father-son 'crematory' operators down in Georgia earlier this year? The ones with corpses stacked in the basement and tossed into the backyard?

That story just seemed to evaporate. This one seems similar...

[FITZ]

my corpse will be "desecrated" by some wacko religious cult

Where's your sense of multiculturalism?

[FITZ]

Doing the Satan worship that Americans are too spoiled and lazy to do.

This Palo Mayombe religions seems a bit safer than Islam ---digging up corpses is a bit better than making them.

[semaj]

Call it what you will but it looks like Satanism is alive and well in the World.