Maniac Grave Robbers Hit Nine States

Police say a mother, her daughter, and the daughter’s boyfriend looted mausoleum niches across at least nine states, stealing the treasures families placed with their dead.

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Florida detectives named three suspects and issued arrest warrants tied to cemetery thefts.
Investigators say the trio hit mausoleums in at least nine states during a long road trip.
Cases in Florida alone number about 20, with similar reports in other states.
Authorities say the suspects are from the Indianapolis area but could be anywhere on the East Coast.

Police identify a traveling trio and a trail of broken niches

Orange County, Florida, deputies say three suspects—Drake Lee Milam, Porsche Bancroft, and Angela Garrett—broke into mausoleum niches and stole jewelry and family heirlooms. Corporal Cole Brazee said arrest warrants were issued and linked them to cemetery thefts in at least nine states. He described the path as a tour of the eastern half of the country, with similar methods and targets from Florida outward. Detectives in Florida are working roughly 20 related cases that share timing, tools, and video cues.

Deputies say the group focused on enclosed niches that hold cremated remains and small keepsakes, not freshly dug graves. That detail matters for how charges stack up. Local prosecutors tend to add burglary, grand theft, and criminal mischief counts. Where remains were disturbed, abuse-of-corpse or specific cemetery-protection statutes may apply. Indiana, for example, makes “cemetery mischief” a crime when someone disturbs or damages markers, artifacts, or ornamentation. The pattern police describe blends theft with deep disrespect for families.

Evidence law enforcement says ties the cases together

Cases share common signs, according to investigators: pried metal or glass doors, missing keepsake jewelry, and quick entries in low-traffic hours. Some sites caught faces and a distinct vehicle on cameras, which detectives say match across scenes. Florida authorities also pushed public alerts and offered a reward for tips, noting the suspects trace back to Indianapolis but could be traveling widely along the East Coast. Reporters covering the hunt have shown stills and surveillance moments that match the sheriff’s description.

Police in other jurisdictions have highlighted related problems, including coordinated thefts of bronze cemetery items that can be sold for scrap. One recent multi-state case recovered hundreds of stolen cemetery vases, showing how fast small crimes at many sites add up to real money and deep grief. While that ring is a separate case, it shows the market forces at play. Thieves chase metal and portable valuables. Families pay twice—once in dollars, again in heartbreak.

Why this crime rattles people far beyond the scene

The law treats most of these counts as property crimes with add-ons for cemetery damage. The heart treats them as a breach of a sacred trust. Americans expect cemeteries to be quiet ground where loved ones can rest. When thieves break that promise, the pain spreads through whole towns. Sheriffs know this, which is why they speak plainly and ask neighbors to watch, report, and harden targets with lights, cameras, and better locks on niche doors. That is common sense policing and community care.

Conservative values stress respect for the dead, the family, and the rule of law. Those align here. The government’s job is to protect peaceful people and punish those who prey on them. The suspects are entitled to a fair trial, yet the facts police put forward call for a firm response: faster information sharing across states, tougher penalties where graves or remains are disturbed, and pressure on scrap buyers to verify sources, so stolen bronze and jewelry do not turn into easy cash.

Deputies urge families to inventory what sits in a loved one’s niche and to photograph items for records. Cemeteries can audit camera coverage, add timed lighting, and train staff to spot pry marks before losses mount. Simple steps lower risk and help police build tighter timelines. Public tips often crack these mobile crews. The sheriff’s appeal for help suggests room for one good lead to end a long run of quiet crimes that cut deep.