Three Convicted For Grave Disturbance

In April 2006, two people walking in a backcountry area of the park near Hancock, Maryland, came upon a historic cemetery with a grave that appeared to have been excavated. They reported it to authorities and an investigation ensued. Rangers confirmed that the grave of Mary Ohr, who died in 1875, had been disturbed and also found that small holes had been dug into the ground in the area around the cemetery. Evidence indicated that metal detectors had probably been utilized in committing the crime. The crime scene was carefully processed with the help of NPS archeologists. Even though the hole dug over the grave was only five feet deep, it was found that Ohr’s casket had been entered. Last June, rangers and NPS special agents interviewed three people, all residents of Hancock, Maryland – Christopher Pelchat, 24, Jonathon Carroll, 29, and James Carroll, 53. All three admitted to metal detecting and relic hunting in the park, and Pelchat and Jonathon Carroll were found to have excavated the gravesite. They also admitted to digging 25 to 30 holes in the area before finding the gravesite. They dug there in hopes of finding jewelry in the casket. After digging down about five feet, they said that they began “creeping out” and abandoned their excavation, not realizing that they’d already dug through Ohr’s remains.  On January 15th, Jonathon Carroll and Pelchat pled guilty in federal court to a 16 USC 470 ARPA violation. As part of a plea agreement, they were sentenced to pay the park $2,569 in restitution for the damage incurred, ordered to serve a year’s probation and complete 25 hours of community service in the park, required to forfeit two metal detectors, and banned from entering any NPS site for two years. On February 20th, William Carroll pled guilty to digging cultural/archeological resources and was ordered to pay $1,015.94 in restitution to the park. In an apology letter written by Christopher Pelchat to the park, he admitted that the excavation of the grave “was a stupid and very foolish thing to do.”