Info sought on desecration of veteran's grave
The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office are offering a $10,000 reward for information about the desecration of a grave at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
About three weeks ago, a cemetery worker found a significant amount of dirt removed from the grave of Edward John Redhead, a World War II U.S. Navy veteran who died in 1971.
Sheriff Rich Stanek said one piece of evidence found nearby is a 3-inch single-blade pocketknife with the name "Wally" crudely scratched in the handle.
The scene suggests multiple suspects were involved, Stanek said.
"Based on the fact that you have to dig up the gravesite itself — you know, quite a bit of dirt, the vault, the casket," Stanek said. "It's going to take more than one person based on what we saw out at the scene.
Anyone with tips should call 911 or the sheriff's department.
"We want to find out what happened," Stanek said. "We've talked with some of our colleagues, both law enforcement agencies across the country, as well as other national cemeteries. They have not seen anything like this. We want to figure out what happened and we need your help to be able to do that. We need the public's help, so contact us."
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