LOVELL, Wyo. - Cemeteries are considered sacred ground by many, a place where private grief happens.
So when a cemetery is vandalised, it’s a special kind of disappointment.
Watch how a religious leader reacts to the vandalism.
Rev. Janita Krayniak has officiated numerous funerals at the Lovell Cemetery and serves the United Methodist Church for Lovell and Powell.
"It's a reminder of the time that they spent, the memories that they had," she said. "It's a place that they can go to just be with that person in spirit. So they're important."
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office shared pictures on social media stating an all-wheel-drive SUV is suspected of running over a headstone. They say the car will probably have front-end damage from hitting it.
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While the damage was not widespread, it was enough to bring some heavy feelings.
"Because it is a smaller town, it is likely that people know who did it, whether it was accidental or intentional," said Krayniak. "I think that can be hard because it's about relationship. When you have something that is yours, and it's broken and taken away. It's hard, and so I think that it's going to be hard for the families to work through this on both counts."
As a $500 reward has been offered by the cemetery association, many in town hope to find out why and how this happened.
"Though there's no official stance on graveyards being sacred or holy spaces, it really is only for the family, but also just for the community itself," said Krayniak.
