A Stratford, Ont., family is devastated after discovering three lights adorned with angels were stolen from their daughter’s grave site.
Larry and Kathy Markle built the memorial at the Avondale Cemetery following the death of their daughter Racheal in 2014. On Monday, Larry Markle noticed that the angel lights that were used to illuminate the memorial at night were gone.
“I felt like she was violated in the worst way. This is sacred ground,” Larry Markle told CTV Kitchener. “It’s morally wrong. It’s just wrong that people do this.”
He said he’s been coming to visit his daughter’s grave a few days a week since her death and often plants new flowers and takes care of the grass.
Racheal Markle died suddenly at the age of 33, leaving behind four children: Seth, Skyler, Travis and Abygail. Racheal’s parents take care of the grave site to keep it looking nice for her children.
According to cemetery staff, these types of incidents happen once in a while and usually at night when there are fewer people around. Staff believes that the lights were stolen to help someone navigate around a nearby grove.
“We think it’s probably kids going into the old grove and looking for some form of a light to walk through the trails,” said Quin Malott, the manager of the Avondale Cemetery.
Larry and Kathy Markle decided not to report the incident to the police in the hopes that the person responsible would hear about it through word-of-mouth and bring the distinct lights back.
“I hope that they return it and put it where it belongs. It’s wrong, morally it’s wrong,” said Larry Markle.
According to Markle, he is unsure if he will be able to replace the lights if they aren’t brought back, as he’s not sure if he’ll be able to find them again.
With a report from CTV Kitchener
