![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/crypttt.jpg\")
NEWBURYPORT — A 19-year-old man from Salisbury was
\n supposed to be cleaning up a cemetery last week as part of court-ordered
\n community work after he broke into an apartment building last fall.<\/p>\n
Instead, officials said, Neil J. Goodwin Jr. invaded the tomb of a Civil
\n War veteran, pulled apart the 142-year-old skeleton, and then played with
\n the bones, balancing the skull on his shoulder and posing for pictures.<\/p>\n
”It’s bizarre, absolutely bizarre," said Lieutenant Richard Siemasko
\n of the Newburyport police. ”I can’t even imagine what was in his head.
\n This is just a whole new level of weird for me."<\/p>\n
Goodwin pleaded not guilty yesterday in Newburyport District Court to a
\n charge of desecrating a corpse and breaking into a tomb, both felonies.
\n Prosecutors said he was doing community service in the Old Hill Burying
\n Ground on Aug. 17 when he kicked in the thin marble entrance to a tomb
\n marked ”1863 Pierce" and twisted off the spine, collarbone, and skull.<\/p>\n
”Every time you think you have seen it all, something like this happens," Siemasko
\n said. ”We just can’t understand why anyone would do this."<\/p>\n
story from the Boston Globe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NEWBURYPORT — A 19-year-old man from Salisbury was supposed to be cleaning up a cemetery last week as part of court-ordered community work after he broke into an apartment building last fall. Instead, officials said, Neil J. Goodwin Jr. invaded … Continue reading