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Cemetery Workers Exhumed 100+ Bodies for Profit, Forensic Breakthrough Aids Convictions

3/5/2026

26 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Four workers at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip exhumed more than 100 bodies to resell burial plots.
Dr. Matt von Konrat of the Field Museum identified non-native common pocket moss, aiding convictions.
Tests showed the moss had been buried for less than 12 months, countering the accused's claims.
The moss evidence helps demonstrate its potential in forensic science.

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Story summary

Four workers at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip exhumed more than 100 bodies to resell burial plots.
Dr. Matt von Konrat of the Field Museum identified non-native common pocket moss, aiding convictions.
Tests showed the moss had been buried for less than 12 months, countering the accused's claims.
The moss evidence helps demonstrate its potential in forensic science.