Three teens charged in gravesite disturbance

By KRISTEN SENZ
Union Leader Correspondent
6 hours, 19 minutes ago

HILLSBOROUGH – Police have arrested three teenagers in connection with the disturbance of a nearly two-century-old gravesite at the remote Bible Hill Cemetery around Halloween.

The Hillsborough Police Department said Eric Houghton, 18, of Hillsborough and Brandon Dutton, 17, of Washington have been arrested and each charged as an adult with a class B felony. Police have also filed a juvenile petition against a local 16-year-old in Henniker District Family Court.

Police did not identify the specific charges against the teens and did not return calls seeking comment.

Police did say they now believe the trio did not steal the remains of Sarah Symonds, who was in her early 30s when she died in June 1821.

"Based on the information developed during the investigation, it is believed that Ms. Symonds is still buried at the Bible Hill Cemetery and was never actually removed," police said in the news release.

Police accuse the three teenagers of using shovels to exhume Symonds' body from her gravesite sometime between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2. The hole left behind was about 5 1/2 feet deep and rectangular, with mounds of dirt and debris on either side.

Police were first alerted on Nov. 2 by a groundskeeper.

At the time, Police Chief Brian Brown said he did not believe teenagers were involved. "If it was teenagers, they'd be talking."

That led investigators to study up on magic and witchcraft, hoping they'd find some link or motive in the case. But the suggestion that the body of a woman who died more than 180 years ago might be desirable to practitioners of witchcraft prompted a flurry of angry telephone calls from all over the country and Canada.

Houghton and Dutton were released on bail and are scheduled for arraignment March 31 at 8:30 a.m. in Hillsborough District Court. If convicted, they face a maximum of seven years in prison.