A veteran's grave at Fort Snelling National Cemetery was desecrated sometime Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
A maintenance man discovered that a grave had "considerable amounts of dirt and ground disturbed" around 8 a.m. Thursday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said at a news conference later that day at the cemetery. The grave belonged to a World War II-era veteran who died in the 1970s.
Stanek couldn't say whether the veteran's remains were disturbed, citing the ongoing investigation. The Hennepin County medical examiner now has custody of the remains, which were removed from the grave. The headstone, however, was not damaged.
Federal and local law enforcement agents and police tape kept visitors away from the scene Thursday, near the intersection of 70th Street and 34th Avenue S.
The sheriff did not reveal the identity of the veteran, whose family has been notified. He said the vandalism amounted to a felony and could also carry federal charges. Authorities are looking for suspects. Stanek declined to speculate on a motive.
MASAKO HIRSCH
