Man arrested after being found cleaning up headstones he’s accused of damaging
A suspect accused of defacing and destroying multiple headstones at a cemetery in Whitley County has been arrested.
Multiple gravestones were defaced and destroyed at Hamblin Cemetery, off Michaels Road in the Upper Mulberry Road community of Whitley County, sometime between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning, according to the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office was dispatched to the scene at 11:28 a.m. Tuesday.
At the scene, investigators found a Cumberland Mint gaming card with a woman’s name on it. Court documents say investigators spoke to the woman, and she said the card was previously stolen from her wallet by Loyle Griffith, 48.
Investigators also found a pair of male size 10 boots on the ground and on top of a headstone inside the cemetery, according to court documents. The woman whose gaming card was stolen told investigators the boots belonged to Griffith and that she saw him wearing the boots before the cemetery was vandalized.
Griffith’s mother told the investigator the boots belonged to Griffith, too, according to court documents. She also said Griffith was barefoot Tuesday morning.
Griffith was later found at the cemetery around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Court documents say he was attempting to clean the headstones and was in possession of methamphetamine.
Griffith admitted to vandalizing the cemetery and expressed remorse, court documents say.
Griffith is charged with possessing methamphetamine and violating graves, according to court records. His bond is set at $7,500.
Images of the damage shared on social media showed some headstones that appeared to have been overturned, while others had been defaced with red writing. One of the headstones belonged to a baby that died in infancy, while another was that of a Revolutionary War soldier.
“The location of the cemetery is very rural, and at this time there are no witnesses,” the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Tuesday.
“A neighborhood canvas was conducted of the area searching for home security footage or witnesses. Please help us bring those responsible for this despicable criminal act to justice.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
