Man ordered on stand trial on charges of looting suburban Philadelphia crypt
By APSaturday, January 23, 2010
Pa. man accused of looting crypt to stand trial
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania man has been ordered to stand trial on charges of looting a family’s burial crypt that dates to the 19th century.
A judge ruled Friday that there was enough evidence for 28-year-old John Paxson of Doylestown, in suburban Philadelphia, to face trial in Bucks County Court on charges that include burglary and abusing a corpse.
Authorities accuse Paxson of breaking into the Doylestown Cemetery crypt of James Doyle, who died in the 1890s, and stealing a brass rail from the casket and copper. Cemetery officials say Doyle and eight others in the crypt are believed to be descendants of William Doyle, the pre-Revolutionary War tavern owner after whom the town is named.
Defense attorney Richard Fink sought dismissal of the charges, saying prosecutors had not proven that his client entered the crypt.
Information from: The Intelligencer, www.phillyburbs.com
