Historic Kansas City cemetery hit with vandalism, as thieves steal bronze doors

A historic Kansas City cemetery has been hit several times by vandalism and theft this month, as criminals raid the resting grounds for expensive metals, according to cemetery officials and law enforcement authorities.

Elmwood Cemetery, which opened in 1872 and is located off Truman Road near Northeast Kansas City, has had several mausoleums and its chapel suffer damage from the overnight break-ins, according to cemetery board members and Kansas City police.

The biggest concern for cemetery board members is the bronze doors stolen from three mausoleums, which can be worth more than $10,000 per set.

“There is no recourse for getting those doors replaced,” board member Alison Paddock said, remarking on how the antique doors are truly irreplaceable.

One of the mausoleums was built in 1910, making its doors more than 100 years old.

“They don’t make doors like that. They’re antiques,” said Paddock.

Stolen doors, broken glass, damaged graves

The first break-in occurred on April 2 around 1:20 a.m., said police spokesperson Alayna Gonzalez. The security company the cemetery uses alerted board members at approximately 2 a.m., Paddock said.

The security company sent board members pictures with the doors still on the mausoleums. But once they were on site by 7:30 a.m., they saw the missing doors and additional damage, Paddock said. Paddock believes the criminals returned to the cemetery after authorities left the scene.

A few mausoleums had their outside decorations stripped, and pieces of marble on several grave markers in the mausoleums were broken off. One mausoleum didn’t have its doors taken, but the windows on the doors were broken.

The cemetery’s chapel sustained a broken stained glass window and damaged antique lights, Paddock said.

But the damage hasn’t been limited to one break-in incident. Board members report the cemetary has been hit multiple times in recent days, always during the overnight and early morning hours.

Board members, who are volunteers of the nonprofit, are currently working to contact family members whose loved ones’ remains are housed in the mausoleums. However, the maintenance and security of the mausoleums rest solely on the nonprofit.

“You’re not stealing from a rich organization. You’re stealing from an organization who is trying to keep this cemetery viable for the families that have entrusted us to care for their dead,” Paddock said.

The nonprofit is offering a $500 reward per set for the return of the antique doors.

Paddock also urges people to contact the Greater Kansas City CrimeStoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) with any information.

But the best way for people to support the historic cemetery — as they work to recover from these losses — is to donate directly on the cemetery’s website, Paddock said