Vandalism Discovered at Pontiac's Oak Hill Cemetery

PONTIAC, Mich. (WJBK) - Sam Wiscombe brought his daughters to Pontiac's Oak Hill Cemetery. He wanted to use the historic burial grounds built back in the 1820s as an artistic backdrop for some pictures he was taking, but after looking through his lens he wasn't happy.

"I just thought it was a shameful testament to our culture that we allow our ancestors to be in this state," he said.

As this English teacher wandered through the grounds, he noticed mausoleums were literally crumbling with trash thrown inside.  There were toppled grave stones. Someone even drew the word "wiccan" and other profanities on marble monuments.

"I try to put myself in their position and I certainly wouldn't want my remains to be treated this way or someone that I love," said Wiscombe.

Even more disturbing, he told us beyond the once busted Gothic gates of one particular mausoleum "there (are) three coffins that are busted up and then what appears to be a skull, a couple of femurs and a pelvis."

Oak Hill Cemetery off University Drive is a final resting place for American Revolution veterans, Civil War soldiers and a even a former Michigan governor.

"I think that these people spent a lot of money memorializing themselves or their loved ones, and it's disgraceful that it's come to this," Wiscombe told FOX 2's Taryn Asher.

He said he first contacted Pontiac Police on July 22 and was passed around until an officer told him he would contact the cemetery. Wiscombe came back just a couple of days ago and nothing had changed.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Department, which has since taken over for Pontiac Police, told FOX 2 it wasn't aware of the vandalism or desecration of graves. It's no secret Pontiac is in financial trouble and likely this city-owned cemetery isn't considered a top priority for funding.

"No, but it wouldn't take much to say erase like the graffiti that's on the stones, to close up some of the crypts and maybe over time repair things," said Wiscombe.

Wiscombe tried to shield his daughters from most of what he saw, but if anything, he says they learned an important lesson.

"I think civic responsibility and respect for history," he said.

There also seems to be an issue with gophers at the cemetery. They burrow underneath the graves, get into the coffins and scatter the bones about. The problem was reportedly taken care of a few years ago, but apparently has returned.