Caretaker finds a bone on Loretto property and considerable damage to the land

The caretaker of a Rascaltown Road property filed a complaint with law enforcement officers last week after he found that someone had been digging on the property, causing significant damage to the land.

Deputies with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department answered the call Wednesday. The caretaker reported that he has been having a problem with trespassers. He said he had installed trail cameras and, as a result, was able to provide them with a photo of a suspect. He said that the man had been warned in the past to stay off of the property.

The caretaker told deputies that while walking on the land he discovered that someone has been digging large holes in the fields and around large trees, causing significant erosion. He said that the land bears Native American artifacts and that there are burial sites located near the creek. He said that he had found a long bone, and feared that the graves might have been desecrated.

The caretaker estimated that the cost of returning the land to the original condition would be around $10,000. He estimated an additional $1,000 loss due to the theft of artifacts.

The deputies contacted the District Attorney’s office to report the finding of the bone. Detectives with the sheriff’s department’s Criminal Investigation Division were then dispatched to the site to initiate a thorough investigation.