Charles Peavey and his relatives had kept an embalmed baby corpse in the family for nearly a century, considering it an heirloom. Peavey believed the body to be the stillborn son of a great-great-uncle. Several years ago, a judge ordered that the corpse finally be buried. Now, police report that someone dug up the grave last weekend and removed the body from its casket. From the AP:
Peavey denies disturbing the grave site, but his home and car were searched Monday, said his attorney, Jim Rosenberg.
"He has no information to offer with regard to this mess," Rosenberg said.
Peavey has not been charged with any crime.
"His sole wish, when Baby John was put to rest a couple years back now, was that the baby could rest peacefully," Rosenberg said. "This news has been extremely difficult for Mr. Peavey to deal with."
Relatives had treated the mummified infant as a family member, giving it cards during holidays and a dried fish as a pet.
"Mummified baby corpse missing from NH grave site" (Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!)
