Florida grave robberies continue throughout the state. Homicide detectives were dispatched recently to the house of Gary S. Thomas, 60 a former gravedigger and member of the “Satan Saints” motorcycle gang.
Pinellas County deputies spotted the skull sitting on a table when they went to Thomas’ home on an unrelated call. They notified homicide.
There was, however, no homicide.
The skull was that of one Ruth Keaton who died in 1948 of complications while having her appendix removed. She was buried in Royal Palm Cemetery in St. Petersburg.
In 1981 grave diggers were preparing a plot right next to Keaton’s. Her grave collapsed as they dug the new one. Gravedigger Bobby Anderson took the skull before they put the rest of Ruth back in the grave. He later gave it to fellow gravedigger Thomas.
“I just thought it was kind of neat,” Thomas said in an interview with The Associated Press today. “I was probably pretty nice about it. I always took care of it. I didn’t let anything happen to it. I guess I did my part and just kept her, kept her safe.”
Through St. Petersburg Times archives, vital statistics and wedding announcements from the 1940s, investigators found Mark Keaton, Ruth’s nephew who declined to press charges. If your love one has been the victim of a Florida grave robbery you may have a claim for tortious interference with a dead body. The Law Offices of Henry Gare at (904) 387-6101 has represented victims of funeral home, cemetery and cremation negligence for over 15 years.
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