NORFORK, Ark. — Brass vases estimated to be worth $10,000, taken from military grave markers at Galatia Cemetery, were allegedly cut up and sold for $130 at a recycling center, according to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
David Sutterfield Jr., 50, of rural Mountain Home, has been arrested in connection with the thefts, Sheriff John F. Montgomery announced in a statement released on Sept. 18.
The investigation began on Sept. 7, when the sheriff’s office received a report about the missing brass vases at the cemetery on Arkansas Highway 5 South. The following day, investigators reached out to a local recycling center to check if any such items had been brought in. They found that brass vases matching the missing items’ description had indeed been sold to the center, according to the sheriff's release.
Recycling center records reportedly identified Sutterfield as the person who sold the vases. According to the release, the vases had been cut into pieces before arriving at the center. For the scrap, Sutterfield received $130, authorities said.
Sutterfield faces charges including:
- Theft of property, - Property damage, and - Removing items placed for a memorial at a cemetery, classified as a felony.
The charges also include a habitual offender penalty enhancement, as noted by the sheriff’s office.
Sutterfield was being held at the Baxter County Detention Center on a $15,000 bond at the time of the Sept. 18 announcement. His next appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court is scheduled for Oct. 12.
Sheriff Montgomery noted that Sutterfield has been booked into the Baxter County Detention Center at least 13 times since 2016 for various felony and misdemeanor charges. However, the statement did not provide details on the outcomes of those cases.
Authorities reminded the public that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.