John Wayne Belknap, a man who pleaded guilty to stealing body parts from a mausoleum in October 2023, was sentenced on Friday to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Belknap, 38, was arrested on October 25, 2023, by Denver police officers, two weeks after the crime took place.
On October 11, 2023, deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at the Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 7777 W. 29th Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered extensive damage to the crypt front of a private mausoleum, as well as to the crypt and casket inside. Investigators believe that Belknap entered the cemetery during the overnight hours, forcibly gained access to the mausoleum, and pried open the casket, removing portions of the decedent’s remains.
Belknap pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, criminal mischief, and theft in connection with the crime.