Man, 19, accused of desecrating Civil War corpse

[wicket]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/08/25/man_19_accused_of_desecrating_civil_war_corpse/

A 19-year-old man from Salisbury was supposed to be cleaning up a cemetery last week as part of court-ordered community work after he broke into an apartment building last fall.

Instead, officials said, Neil J. Goodwin Jr. invaded the tomb of a Civil War veteran, pulled apart the 142-year-old skeleton, and then played with the bones, balancing the skull on his shoulder and posing for pictures.

''It's bizarre, absolutely bizarre," said Lieutenant Richard Siemasko of the Newburyport police. ''I can't even imagine what was in his head. This is just a whole new level of weird for me."

Goodwin pleaded not guilty yesterday in Newburyport District Court to a charge of desecrating a corpse and breaking into a tomb, both felonies. Prosecutors said he was doing community service in the Old Hill Burying Ground on Aug. 17 when he kicked in the thin marble entrance to a tomb marked ''1863 Pierce" and twisted off the spine, collarbone, and skull.

[Ian David]

1. Oh, come on. Who here hasn't desecrated a corpse or two as a kid? n/t

[Howardx]

2. just a frat prank

if youre in skull and bones that is

[Connie_Corleone]

3. We'll hear about him 10 years from now.

He'll be arrested for killing 25 people over a 2 year period.

[rodeodance]

5. guess he resented this part of his 'community' work!!

[Dora]

8. Or he'll be running for school board. n/t

[DBoon]

12. or a "detention facility" in Iraq

or whatever other country we have invaded

[whalerider55]

22. hey....

as a progressive school board member here in Newburyport, I resent that remark.

he'd be running for mayor or city council. the school committee is too much work.

whalerider

[ET Awful]

10. Or he'll run for President . . . after all, he appears to be

Skull and Bones material . . .


OUCH that was a bad pun.

[David__77]

18. You beat me to it!

In America, being a criminal sociopath can lead to great success.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. A member of Skull & Bones or just a wannabe? n/t

[ET Awful]

11. Dammit you stole my pun :) n/t

[Cocoa]

6. excitable boy they all said

ooh ooh excitable boy. :crazy:

[rfranklin]

7. For those who missed the Bush connection....

Where Are They Hiding Geronimo's Skull?

by Tim Giago, LAKOTA NATION JOURNAL
Notes from Indian Country, Winter 2000

SAN CARLOS APACHE RESERVATION, ARIZONA: Ned Anderson is the former Chairman of the San Carlos Apache of Arizona. He is on a one man campaign to get the skull of his beloved Apache warrior, Geronimo, returned to its rightful burial place.

Anderson is convinced that the skull has been used in weird fraternity rituals at Yale University since about 1918 after it was taken from Geronimo's grave at Fort Sill, Oklahoma by Prescott Bush, the grandfather of president George W. Bush. In 1983 several Apache leaders discussed the idea of having the bones of Geronimo returned to Arizona for re-burial. The meeting between the Apache leaders at Fort Sill resulted in several papers picking up the story and putting Ned Anderson's name temporarily in the spotlight.

A short time later a disgruntled member of Yale's Skull & Bones Society contacted Anderson by letter and suggested that the remains of Geronimo had been pilfered by Prescott Bush while he and five other officers were stationed at Fort Sill in 1918. The stolen prizes were taken back to New Haven, Connecticut to a place known as the Tomb, the home of the Skull & Bones Society.The bones, a horse bit and stirrups were placed in a glass display case where members and visitors could view them as they entered the building.

The secret informant sent pictures of the bones on display along with a copy of a Skull & Bones ledger which held notations about the 1918 grave robbery. The informant provided the information that the bones were used in the Thursday and Sunday night rituals of the Society and Geronimo's skull was always placed on a table in front of the participants during the ceremony. Hardly believing his own ears, Anderson went to New Haven to confirm the allegations and satisfied that it was true he contacted the FBI to take control of the issue. According to Anderson, his attorney informed him that if he would turn over every bit of evidence he possessed to the FBI they would then take on the case. Anderson rejected this offer.

-more-

http://www.sonomacountyfreepress.com/bohos/geronimo.html

[wicket]

9. Weird!

Never heard about that before - thanks for the link.

[spinbaby]

13. Wow, that's news to me

And definitely interesting enough to merit its own thread.

[A Brand New World]

17. Kitty Kelly mentioned this episode in her book about the Bushies.

To me, it just epitomizes the whole Bush family and how they have never had any regard for others. Grave robber history and now robbing the US treasury.

[Justitia]

14. Alas, poor Yorick! -eom

[KansDem]

15. "This is just a whole new level of weird for me"

Couldn't have said it better. Either about this incident or others of the past five years...

[daleo]

16. There may be some sensationalism here

For instance this: "pulled apart the 142-year-old skeleton, and then played with the bones, balancing the skull on his shoulder and posing for pictures."

becomes this, later on: "three pictures of Goodwin and the bones, including one in which he is holding up the skull..."

Also, the article states it was a civil war veteran in the lead, but by the conclusion says: "It's a terrible thing, whether it is a Civil War soldier or not," Smith said. ''In effect, what this is is hurting someone who is already dead. . . . And if it is a soldier..."

[RedCloud]

19. Since it is a pale face's "corpse", it's a crime.

If it were an African or Native american corpse, it's called good clean fun, or worse, science!

[blue sky at night]

20. we have hope for the future.........

in the Youth of America. How do you spell R E S P E C T ?

[TaleWgnDg]

21. This kid reminds me of some of my pro bono "kids" . . .

and I'd venture unless he got immediate and enduring mental health assistance, he will again be within the "social assistance" of the court system where many who cannot afford or refuse appropriate aid find themselves. However, next time around, or perchance the many times thereafter, his wrongdoing will have, unfortunately, escalated greatly.

One very sick kid.

.