Alleged tomb-raiding trio arrested in cross-country cemetery spree 'to steal from the dead,' police say

Three alleged tomb raiders from Indiana have been arrested for "disturbing thefts from cemetery niches containing cremated remains" across the "eastern half of the United States," authorities say.

Now law enforcement agencies are urging people to check the cemeteries where their loved ones are interred.

Twenty cases have been identified in Florida alone.

"But detectives believe there could be many more," who just don’t realize they’ve been victimized yet, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida wrote in a late husband’s niche. It had been his wish to be interred with the jewelry, she told police.

A family reported missing jewelry they’d left with the remains of a beloved wife and mother, including a gold wedding band, two gold earrings, two gold rings and a gold bracelet.

A husband reported the theft of his wife’s platinum-and-diamond wedding ring and a diamond solitaire he’d given her for their engagement.

The wife of the late Charles Taaffe, former offensive coordinator for the University of Central Florida football team, reported his two gold championship rings had been taken from where his remains were interred.

The sheriff’s office is urging people nationwide to check their loved ones’ burial sites to be sure "cherished items" are still there.

In Florida, valuables worth a total of $35,000 have been discovered as being swiped from cemeteries in Orange, Seminole and Hillsborough counties, the spokesperson said.

"But the dollar amount is not what's important," a sheriff’s office spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email.

"Having a loved one’s final resting place disturbed and cherished family heirlooms taken is deeply painful, and we recognize that no arrest can undo what these families have experienced."

Detectives are working to identify more victims.

"If you have a family member resting at a cemetery, take a moment to check their niche and make sure the items you placed with them are still there," the sheriff’s office wrote on X.

"And if you have information about this case or believe you may be a victim, please contact Central Florida Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477)."

Fox News Digital attempted to contact all three defendants. Bancroft said her attorney would provide a statement but it was not received before publication. Garrett and Milam did not respond before publication.