MACON, Ga. — Rose Hill Cemetery is asking for your help in finding the people who vandalized graves in the past week. Macon's historic cemetery includes the graves of dozens of famous Maconites.
That includes nine members of the Woolfolk family, who were killed in a sensational murder case in 1887. Someone over the past week damaged the Woolfolk graves with bricks. Cemetery officials believe it was a group that entered the cemetery at night.
“I was horrified when I saw this. It's almost like somebody hit me. And it's just devastating to those of us who work so hard to preserve the cemetery to see this done for whatever reason,” Robinson said.
Robinson is the treasurer for Rose Hill Cemetery, and she loves coming to the cemetery to get peace. But now, Rose Hill officials believe a group entered at night to desecrate a family plot.
“It's just so sad I just can't understand why anybody would do this," Robinson said. "Desecrate the graves this way."
Now, they're offering a $1,000 reward for anyone who knows about the vandalism. They say vandals used bricks to damage the Woolfolk family graves.
Robinson says she believes it's important to treat these gravestones with love.
"It's just devastating to those of us who work so hard to preserve the cemetery to see this done for whatever reason," Robinson said.
Now folks at Rose Hill are hoping for better, and they want people to be able to enjoy the cemetery's beauty.
“You could be surprised how many people come here to see and if it's beautiful they drive around,” Robinson said.
Robinson says vandalism continues even though they installed cameras in the area. She tells people in Macon if they see something say something.
“Applied for a grant, got a camera at the front gate and people still come in here at night, which is against city regulations you're not allowed to come in here at night,” Robinson said.
She says she hopes she can safely take her dog Emma on morning walks again.
The cemetery recently put out a post asking for donations to fund the repairs. The post said that despite partial funding, they're lacking $2,500 and said they would be "grateful for any and all assistance."
Donations can be made on their website here.