Randall Vicars

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HI HAT — A Floyd County man was arrested last week, after Floyd County Sheriff’s deputies found him in possession of a graveside memorial recently reported stolen from Newman Cemetery.

Evelena Osborne has had enough. She is tired of replacing wreaths and flowers placed at the grave of her son, Anthony Osborne. Two weeks ago she offered a reward for information leading to the return of a graveside marker she had recently put out and the arrest of the person responsible for its theft.

“It’s disgraceful,” Osborne said, regarding the practice of stealing from graves.

Randall Vicars Jr., 31, of Melvin, was arrested last Thursday on charges of theft by unlawful taking, and violating graves.

According to deputies, they received a tip last week that Vicars was in possession of the memorial.

Following the tip, Deputy Landon Hall met with Vicars and questioned him about the theft. Hall later returned with an arrest warrant for Vicars, and on the second trip, Vicars produced the stolen memorial that he had “found.”

“I want him to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Osborne. “I want an example made of him.”

Osborne says she hopes a stern punishment handed down by the courts will give would-be thieves pause before stealing memorials, not only from the grave of her son, but from any grave.

Vicars was transported to the Floyd County Detention Center, where he continues to be held on a $10,000 cash bond.

Violating graves is a Class D felony.