HENRY COUNTY — A cemetery is a sacred place where loved ones go to rest peacefully, but one Henry County cemetery has been anything but that for some time now.
The Batson Church and Cemetery has been repeatedly vandalized over the past several years with the most recent incident occurring in the last few weeks.
More than 60 gravestones in the cemetery were pushed over. Vandals spray painted the property and knocked the church’s windows out as well.
The cemetery has over 40 veterans buried there going back to the Civil War.
Authorities and cemetery caretakers want to catch whoever is responsible. They are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect.
“You don’t want people going in and violating the property that’s there. The memorials that are put up are sacred to people who have family members there,” Henry County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Nate Kovacs said. “To desecrate them is a crime and is punishable by jail time.”
Anyone with information on the vandalism is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Department at 765-521-7032.
A group that helps care for the cemetery is offering a $500 reward.
