Gold rush gone wrong: Thieves dig up grave for imitation bling

A grieving family just coming to terms with the loss of their beloved grandmother has been left devastated after robbers dug open her grave and broke her coffin in order to steal the gold chain around her neck and were hunting for her gold teeth.

The Kensington family of 72-year-old Lillian Jacobs has since opened a case with police after her casket and grave was opened by robbers at gate 4 at Maitland Cemetery.

The City’s Recreation and Parks Department has confirmed that an investigation has been initiated.

The suspects, who are two men from the community, dug open Jacobs' grave on November 28 and removed the cross and frame on top of it.

The main suspect who is being sought by police had ripped the imitation gold chain off from Jacobs' neck while she lay in her coffin and had apparently opened her mouth to investigate whether she had her gold dentures.

Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed a case was under investigation: "In response to your media enquiry kindly be advised that the mentioned case number is a malicious damage to property case. The investigation into the matter is ongoing and no arrests have been made yet."

Jacobs' devastated widower, Jeffrey Arendse, 66, regularly visited his wife's grave since her passing and last week Friday was no different. Jacobs died in October and her family had dressed in white and gold. Jacobs was dressed in a white top and pants and because she had a love for gold, her family decided it would be fitting to add an imitation gold necklace, earrings and a flower in her hand.

Arendse found the grave in disarray, damaged and dug open with the wooden frame and cross moved and strewn around. The  top part of the coffin ripped open.

Days after the incident the family managed to trace one of the robbers, who are known drug addicts in the community, who spilled the beans.

The chain was later found dumped inside a backyard of a neighbour.

"I have been going to the grave every day since she died," Arendse explained. "I wasn't going to go on Friday as I decided I would go on Sunday but something said go.

"As I walked to the grave, I noticed that is a big hole, the frame was gone and the coffin was open. "I felt so disgusted, I shouted thinking that her peace has been disturbed all for drugs and to think they checked inside her mouth for the gold."

Another relative, who asked not to be named, said the family had carried out their own investigation and traced one of the suspects to his bed where he was still covered in sand.

"We found out who the man was who helped the main suspect to dig the grave, he was still in bed, full of sand," she said. "He admitted that he helped to dig the grave but that he stopped because he did not want to be involved any longer."

This suspect was then apparently beaten by residents. The family said they had confronted the main suspect's mother who denied his part in the crime

."We heard that the main suspect, who my grandmother used to feed and his children, was bragging that he had dug up her grave and that he had even opened her mouth to check if the gold was there," said the relative.

"How could he do that to her, to disrespect her resting place, she was the one who used to feed him and his children."

Arendse added that residents had alerted them about a gold chain found dumped into a neighbour's backyard." He (main suspect) must have panicked and thrown it over the neighbour's wall," he said. Arendse said he has been at the local police station everyday, to make sure that the suspects are arrested.

The City’s Recreation and Parks Department said it was not aware of the incident and views this as a serious matter: The Department can confirm that an investigation has been initiated. The City condemns vandalism and tries its best to provide controlled dignified burial spaces. We appeal to residents to report incidents of general vandalism and/or theft as soon as possible so that corrective action can be taken."

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