(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Workers at Burr Oak Cemetery in southwest suburban Alsip were accused of digging up graves, dumping human remains and reselling burial plots 15 years ago. Now, police believe teeth and a jawbone found there earlier this month are tied to the scandal.
Commander Jason Moran of the Cook County Sheriff's Police says the bone fragment and teeth were found by a family looking for the gravesite of a loved one.
He says it was in an area, where cemetery workers in 2009 were accused of dumping remains that had been removed so occupied graves could be sold to bury new bodies.
Moran said the latest discovery is not a surprise, because investigators believe remains will continue to surface at the cemetery.
“They built the mausoleum there and they've done some burials. So they're moving a lot of soil, they're manipulating that topsoil through these processes, which is going to bring additional items to the surface.”
Moran said it's unknown how many graves were desecrated because of the scandal, but he says it could be hundreds.
Police continue to investigate the discovery of the latest remains, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office is trying to identify them.
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