Man arrested for necromancy, human composting is finally a reality and other unnerving stories.
Man Arrested For Attempting to Resurrect the Dead
Police arrested a man who allegedly caused $30,000 in damage to a cemetery while reportedly attempting to raise his grandmother from the dead.
Newsweek reports that Knoxville, Tenn., resident Danny Frazier was arrested last week after he allegedly rampaged through a church cemetery.
Officers were called to the scene after receiving vandalism reports from witnesses. When they arrived they reportedly found extensive damage had been done. According to police reports, holes had been dug in the ground and some headstones had even been damaged. A witness told police that a homeless man who had been staying on the property was to blame, and officers were soon able to track down Frazier. The man confessed to having vandalized the property. He allegedly told police that he had been attempting to resurrect his grandmother, who died in 2012 and was interred at the cemetery. The Daily Mail reports that there is no indication that Frazier is homeless.
The cost to repair the damage was estimated around $30,000. Frazier was charged with vandalism and criminal trespassing. His bond at the Knox County Jail is set for $20,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19.
Jailers Charged For Torturing Inmates with “Baby Shark”
Three former detention officers at the Oklahoma County Jail were charged with cruelty after allegedly forcing prisoners to listen to the popular children’s song “Baby Shark” on a loop.
The Oklahoman reports that Gregory Cornell Butler Jr., Christian Charles Miles and Christopher Raymond Hendershott were all charged with misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a prisoner and conspiracy. According to investigators the three officers forced inmates to stand against the wall of an attorney visitation room with their hands cuffed behind them while “Baby Shark” played on a loop for an extended period of time.
“It was unfortunate that I could not find a felony statute to fit this fact scenario,” said District Attorney David Prater. “I would have preferred filing a felony on this behavior.” He said lawmakers should consider changing the laws.
Butler and Miles reportedly took part in the act. Hendershott, their supervisor, is alleged to have known about the behavior but did nothing to stop it. According to Sheriff P.D. Taylor, who was in charge of the jail at the time, Butler and Miles were immediately suspended from contact with inmates. All three officers resigned during an internal investigation.
Human Composting Legalized
Washington residents can now opt to have their mortal remains turned into soil to feed plants.
According to One Zero, Washington became the first and only state to legalize human composting in 2019. Bodies are allowed to decompose naturally at the request of their former owners through a process known as “natural organic reduction.”
Now the process is being streamlined by Recompose, the first U.S. company of its kind. It offers clients the option of having their bodies placed inside a reusable 8-by-4-foot steel container packed with wood chips, straw and alfalfa for 30 days. While in the vessel, microbes will break down the bodies at a molecular level, turning the remains into nutrient-rich soil. Each body will reportedly produce one cubic yard of soil amendment.
Recompose says the process will help to lower the environmental impact of humans. Its clients will no longer be wasting materials on single-use coffins, and they will also be lowering their carbon footprint. According to the company website, each person who chooses to decompose naturally prevents one metric ton of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
The service costs $5,500. More than 275 people have reportedly paid for their reservations. The company will begin operations in November.
Astronaut Plans to Vote From Space
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins says she plans to cast her next vote from more than 200 miles above Earth.
The Associated Press reports that Rubins is preparing for a six-month stay on the International Space Station, but she’s not letting it get in the way of her civic duty. Texas law allows astronauts who live in the state to vote from space using an electronic ballot. Mission Control sends the ballot to the astronaut on the space station and then relays it back to the county clerk once it is completed.
“It’s critical to participate in our democracy,” Rubins told reporters. “We consider it an honor to be able to vote from space.” In 2016 NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough cast his ballot from the space station.
Rubins will be conducting a cardiovascular experiment and other research in the International Space Station’s Cold Atom Lab. This will be the 20th year of continuous human habitation on the station.
“I think it’s really important for everybody to vote,” Rubins said. “If we can do it from space, then I believe folks can do it from the ground, too.”
Veteran Receives Diploma Before 100th Birthday
World War II veteran Albert Montella recently accepted his high school diploma only weeks before his 100th birthday.
According to WPVI in Pennsylvania, Montella finally received his high school diploma from Rose Tree Media School District during a ceremony held at Sunrise of Granite Run Senior Living in Media, Penn. In attendance were family, friends and members of the Brookhaven Fire Company.
“He served our country, he’s supported and helped his community and all of that without asking little in return. So at the age of 100, we get to finally honor him in some small way,” said Rose Tree Media School District Superintendent Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen.
Montella reportedly dropped out of high school in 1938 to support his family. He then enlisted in the Navy and was sent to fight in World War II. He was never able to return to school.
“It’s exciting because I never expected it, I really never did. This is a far dream of this ever happening to me,” Montella told reporters.
APD to Don Football Colors
According to an email obtained by ABQ Report, Albuquerque Police Department plainclothes officers and personnel have been authorized to wear football jerseys on Fridays.
An email alleged to have been sent to APD personnel and signed by interim Chief of Police Harold Medina has authorized officers to wear the jerseys of their favorite football teams.
“Effectively immediately,” Medina writes, “all plainclothes/civilians sworn personnel are authorized to wear football apparel on Friday of every week, during the football season. Personnel will ensure that their apparels are professional and do not represent the City of Albuquerque or the Albuquerque Police Department in a negative fashion. [sic]”
It is unclear whether this will make undercover officers more identifiable to the public.