DOZENS OF GRAVESTONES FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Sheriff’s investigators in Marshall County say they’ve unraveled the mystery of dozens of gravestones, some from the 1800s, found discarded by a roadside.

The discovery earlier this week outraged local Commissioner Jesse Swords, who said: “Whoever’s done this should be punished.”

Heath Thomas of the sheriff’s office says there was no vandalism or crime. Deputies traced the gravestones to cemeteries in DeKalb, Marshall and Cherokee counties and found each plot recently received a new headstone. The gravestones found by the roadside were at a sharp curve. Investigators suspect the company that replaced the headstones was hauling away the old ones and some fell off the truck at that turn in the road.

The sheriff’s office is trying to contact the company to retrieve the gravestones.