Teens Make Grave Error (Cops say trio stole, partied with bodies)

Newsday ^ | 1-30-2003 | Samuel Bruchey and Andrew Smith

[Cagey]

They're not goths, their friends say, nor members of some satanic cult. But on a night in November, three Patchogue teenagers with mischief on their minds brought shovels to Cedar Grove Cemetery, Suffolk police say.

Two of the teens chose a trio of grave sites at random, pried off the stone casket lids and put the skeletal remains in the trunk of the car their friend was driving. Later that night, the two brought the remains to a party at a friend's house nearby, police and friends of the three said.

"They just wanted to know what dead people looked like,” said Jessica Wess, 17, who was throwing the party, and said she did not appreciate the unexpected guests.

"I obviously didn't want anything to do with it,” Wess said.

Apparently none of the teens at the party told their parents or teachers, officials said. But after a few weeks one of the youths, Michael Herz, 18, had trouble keeping the secret, said Suffolk Det. Lt. Edward Reilly, commanding officer of the Fifth Squad in Patchogue.

[Cagey]

Photo of one of the accused. And, I bet you thought it was one of the deceased.

[clamper1797]

I hope they each get a "stiff" sentence in the "cooler"

[wideawake]

Herz's father, Robert Herz, said he had no idea why his son did any of it. "It was probably a stupid prank, but I don't know because he won't tell me. He said ‘I didn't do it'. I said, ‘Michael, yes you did.'”

This is the genius pictured above.

[billorites]

"Later that night, the two brought the remains to a party at a friend's house nearby.."

I usually bring a Bundt cake.

[Treebeard]

Necrophilia: the urge to pop open a cold one...

Or how about this defense: "Your Honor, I meant no harm, really! I used to BE a necrophiliac until some rotten wench split on me!"

[Cagey]

Hahahahahaha!

[JoJo Gunn]

The image is of a lice infested Leftist Pervert, and we all know their brains are deceased.

[Doc Savage]

Now THERE'S a face ONLY!! a mother could love!!!! On second thought, not even a mother could that MUG!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Drugged up teens. And they are pretty goth looking. They brought the body to their friend's house and she was upset about it!

Ugh!

[Alberta's Child]

These morons probably listen to Howard Stern, but on the radio in New York this morning it was Don Imus who uttered the best line about this story:

"Nothing wrong with digging up a body -- I'll bet they had one hell of a Halloween party."

[Servant of the Nine]

Enlist them and send them to Iraq. They can find out what dead people look like.

So9

[FeliciaCat]

He looks like one of the stolen bodies.....

[biblewonk]

The teens are thinking they are way goth.

[pubmom]

That must have been some party. In my day, BYOB meant bring your own booze, not bring your own body!

[IronJack]

"They just wanted to know what dead people looked like,”

Everybody needs a hobby.

[WKB]

I took a fake skeleton into an all black beer joint in the late 60's. Needles to say they gave me the beer joint.

[Colorado Doug]

"They just wanted to know what dead people looked like,”

All they had to do was look here. Here are some pictures of dead people:

And another

[Cagey]

I took a fake skeleton into an all black beer joint in the late 60's. Needles to say they gave me the beer joint.

I see. By "all black beer", do you mean they only served Guinness? And then they gave you the joint? Speaking of the 60's, are you having flashbacks?

[steve-b]

Later that night, the two brought the remains to a party at a friend's house nearby

Well, I suppose that made a bigger impression than the twelve-pack of Coke and bag of pretzels I usually bring.

[steve-b]

One classmate of Herz told police the teens had covered a skull with a Darth Vader mask.

Why bother to dig up a skull at all if you're going to completely conceal it behind an enclosing opaque mask?