SMITH, NOBLE M. (2 STONES) - Faulkner County, Arkansas | NOBLE M. (2 STONES) SMITH - Arkansas Gravestone Photos

Noble M. (2 Stones) SMITH

Cypress Valley Cemetery
Faulkner County,
Arkansas

Apr. 26, 1908 - Jan. 28, 1909

Daughter of Richmond & Belle.

Note 2 Stones, the older broken by vandals
*thecabin.net
By Joe Lamb
Posted: April 21, 2010
Teen cemetery vandals accept plea bargain

The two teenagers arrested on March 24 at the scene of 66 overturned, broken or pulverized headstones at the Cypress Valley Cemetery just southeast of Vilonia have accepted the state’s plea arrangement.

The arrangement, offered by 20th Judicial District Deputy prosecutor Wade Hodge on Wednesday and approved by Circuit Judge Rhonda Wood, includes 30 days in jail, the maximum 1,440 hours each community service with house arrest until this service is completed, letters of apology to all known victims (the survivors of those interred in plots which were vandalized) and an appearance at a cemetery community service day on Labor Day during which they will be required to make a public apology “to all the families that are there,” Wood said.

This sentence includes “maxed out” community service, Wood said, which should take about nine months to complete, as well as the maximum probationary period, which expires when the teens, one of whom is 15 and the other 16, turn 21.

To this, Wood added the requirement that the teens spend as much time as necessary to research the lives of those buried under the headstones they overturned or damaged and to submit a written report of their lives to the court.

“I thought they needed to know about the lives they touched,” she said.

As it happened, the teens seemed interested in vandalizing tombstones in an area of the cemetery containing some of the oldest graves.

According to reports from arresting Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the two said when arrested on March 24 that they did it because they were bored, and didn’t know what the “big deal” was. They had overturned several headstones and smashed many, often apparently using pieces of one as a hammer to smash another. Some were pieced back together.

Wood also said that she would like for their reports to be made public.

As for the community service, Wood added, the caretakers of Cypress Valley Cemetery have indicated that they wouldn’t care to have the two teens back on the grounds except for the court-ordered appearance on Labor Day. Finding cemetery caretakers who would have them may prove difficult, she said, and she suggested to the two that they check with area nursing homes.

Restitution is still being calculated, but will probably be at or less than $5,000, and each teen will have to pay a fine of $500, according to 20th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden, who said that he was pleased to see that the teens would be doing constructive work for the community.

The teens had been set a plea date two weeks ago, but the prosecution asked for an extension to ensure that all known descendants of those in vandalized plots had been notified and asked for their punishment suggestions. This first plea arrangement did not include any jail time, but as it was taken “off the table,” she said, the 30-day sentence was added in the arrangement the teens accepted on Wednesday.

Maj. Andy Shock of FCSO worked with cemetery caretakers and community members to organize a cleanup day on March 27 to fix what could be fixed. Shock said on Wednesday that he applauded “the community involvement during the cemetery cleanup and I also applaud and we give our blessing to Judge Rhonda Wood for a fair sentencing.”

Contributed on 1/22/14 by hawkinsdonna
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Record #: 976142

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Submitted: 1/22/14 • Approved: 1/22/14 • Last Updated: 1/29/14 • R976142-G0-S3

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