Man pleads guilty to stealing body parts for Crown Hill Cemetery mausoleum in 2023

DENVER (KDVR) — A man pleaded guilty on Nov. 6 to breaking into and stealing body parts from a private mausoleum at Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County, according to court records.

John Belknap, 47, was arrested in October 2023 weeks after Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the cemetery for reported damage to the mausoleum. Deputies found the crypt front was severely damaged, as was the crypt and casket inside.

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The agency originally reported that it appeared someone entered the cemetery overnight, forced entry into the crypt and accessed the casket. Once inside, parts of the body were removed.

Belknap was identified as the suspect through DNA evidence found at the scene , according to the Jeffco agency. The sheriff's office previously reported that there wasn't an apparent relationship between Belknap and the decedents entombed in the crypt.

Belknap pleaded guilty last week to carrying a concealed weapon, criminal mischief of $1,000 to $2,000, and abuse of a corpse. Under the plea agreement, charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief were dismissed.

Belknap remains in police custody under a $10,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 9 for sentencing.

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