SARGENT COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) — A North Dakota man was arrested after the theft of a 700-pound historic bell from White Stone Hill Cemetery, officials said.
The bell, donated in 1912 by the Luther League of the White Stone Hill Congregation, was last seen on September 1 and discovered missing on September 6. Weighing 701 pounds, it was secured to a stand with a strap and bolts.
Court documents reveal the suspect, Paul Vincent, sold 450 pounds of the bell as scrap metal to a recycling facility. The parts bore inscriptions that were ground off to remove any identifying marks.
Vincent was located in Gwinner on September 16. Though he denied stealing the bell, he admitted to taking pieces to the recycling facility with another person.
Replacing the bell is estimated to cost between $40,000 and $50,000.
