Grave, stone defaced at cemetery

Over the two and a half months, family members visiting the grave of Fred McKinney found dead animals on the grave and tombstone, according to Pea Ridge Police, who arrested a 79-year-old man in connection with the incident on Monday.

Joseph A. Stroud, 79, was booked into the Benton County Jail Monday afternoon in connection with defacing objects of public respect, class B felony. Stroud’s address of Bentonville is in rural Pea Ridge.

The deceased, McKinney, died in August 2015 and previously owned property adjacent to Stroud’s property.

Prosecutors have not filed a formal charge against Stroud.

According to the probable cause affidavit, on July 31, Shannon Nobles told Pea Ridge Police that her family started finding dead animals at her grandfather’s grave site, according to the probable cause affidavit.

She reported that the family began finding the dead animals on May 31 and assumed it was a coincidence and the animals were consuming the fake flowers and dying, according to the affidavit. They kept finding the dead animals and realized that someone was placing the dead animals at the site, according to the affidavit. The family began the investigation, including setting game cameras at the site.

Family members of the deceased have had to remove 16 dead animals from the grave, according to the affidavit. A brown stain was left on the tombstone from the oils of the decaying animal body draped over it, according to the affidavit. The stain cannot be removed and the stone will have to be replaced at a cost of $2,529.45, according to the affidavit, making the offense a felony.

Stroud’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 21 in Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green’s courtroom.

TIMES photograph by Annette Beard The Pea Ridge Cemetery on Weston Street was the setting for an unpleasant experience for one Pea Ridge family recently.