GRANITE CITY, Ill — A Granite City man has been arrested after hundreds of headstones were vandalized in a Granite City cemetery in September.
According to the Granite City Police Department, Thomas E. Knowland, 46, was arrested on Sept. 29 for the vandalism. He is charged with unlawful vandalization of a gravestone, which is a class 2 felony.
He is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Those whose loved ones are buried at the cemetery told 5 On Your Side the vandalism was disheartening.
“They were, they were the best people,” said Nicole Armbruster, wiping a tear from her eye remembering her grandparents, Donald and Marie Murphy.
“There wasn’t anyone who didn’t like them or love them—it was impossible to not.”
Visiting the St. John Cemetery in Granite City on the 27th anniversary of her grandfather’s passing Armbruster and her sons found her grandparents’ memorial marker face down in the dirt.
“It’s something we want to be able to come out to and be able to actually see it and not knocked over and looking the way it does. I don't understand why someone would feel the need to do all this,” said Armbruster.
About a week after it happened, families made their way to the cemetery to do some investigating of their own--checking for themselves to see if their loved ones' headstones are among the damaged.
“The cemetery never contacted me, or my mom,” said Armbruster. “Why haven’t they contacted the families?”
St. John Cemetery staffers told 5 On Your Side that most markers were pushed into the grass and are otherwise undamaged, so they're going through to put them back in place. So far, they’ve been able to put about 120 back into place. They say they’re only calling families of those whose headstones are significantly damaged, saying the fact that it’s only been five so far is “a blessing.”
Headstones vandalized at Granite City cemetery
This message was posted on trees throughout the property:
"Sometime during the night of September 16-17, 2020 an individual, or several people, vandalized the historic St. John Cemetery on Nameoki Road. A significant amount of damage was done to many gravesites, including to monuments, vases and decorations. This is very disturbing to us and the local police, who are thoroughly investigating the incident. Also, we know this is greatly disturbing to the family members of the ones whose gravesites have been damaged. Those family members are encouraged to make a claim with their homeowner’s insurance to pay for the necessary repairs, since they are the representatives responsible for the stones. At this point in our recovery efforts, we do not have a cost estimate for those repairs, or for the repair of damaged historic monuments. In the future, information regarding repairs and referrals will be available to those affected. If your family gravesite has been damaged, the cemetery office staff will contact the name on our records. The damage that has been done is heartbreaking for all of us, and for the community. In whatever manner justice is accomplished, we continue to pray for the dignity and respect of most people to overcome the depravity of a few.
St. John UCC Cemetery Staff, Committee, and Church Leaders"
Armbruster and many other families at the cemetery Friday told 5 On Your Side, though, the cemetery’s handling of the situation has added to their distress, and that they shouldn't have had to find out from word of mouth or on Facebook—and shouldn't have to see these final resting places in pieces.
“People say it's just a piece of rock, marble, but it is more than that, and that's very upsetting.”
