Latest News

Mark Kirk Opts Out Of Race To Replace Burris

2009-07-10T21:18:44Z

Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk (R) will not run for the open seat of Sen. Roland Burris (D) in 2010, a stunning reversal from just 48 hours ago when Kirk signaled to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) that he would make the race.

Mark Kirk Won't Run For Senate: Report

2009-07-10T20:58:44Z

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk will not run for the Senate in 2010, the Washington Post's Chris Cilliza reports.

The North Shore Republican appeared set to enter the race just days ago, after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced she would not run.

Kirk had indicated to several state and national Republicans that he would run, including National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn. One sticking point, the Post reports, may have been Kirk's vote for President Obama's climate change bill:

[Kirk's decision] followed a meeting of the Illinois Republican congressional delegation on Thursday in which his colleagues refused to back Kirk in a primary against Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna due, in large part, to his vote in favor of President Barack Obama's climate change bill.

McKenna indicated his plan to run for the Republican nomination earlier this week, though he has not declared.

Roland Burris Confirms: No Senate Run In 2010, Says It's About Money

2009-07-10T20:13:50Z

CHICAGO — Embattled Illinois Sen. Roland Burris said Friday he won't run for a full term in 2010, making official the end of a short Senate career clouded by questions about his appointment by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Burris, the only black U.S. senator, said he was bowing out of the 2010 race because of the burden of raising money to pay for a campaign.

"I was called to choose between spending my time raising funds, or spending my time raising issues for my state. I believe that the business of the people of the state of Illinois should always come first," said Burris, who complained political campaigns have gotten too expensive.

"And so today, I have returned to the place where my political journey began back in 1978, back to the South Side of Chicago, back to my community and my constituency to announce, my friends, that I will not be a candidate in the 2010 election, and that I will not run for the United States Senate," he told supporters who minutes earlier had chanted, "Run, Roland, Run!"

"I feel as if the people of Illinois have lost the most experienced and most qualified person to represent them in the United States Senate based on finances, based on a simple matter of campaign fundraising," said Melvin Sims, a Chicago attorney.

Burris' decision caps a long political career that included stints as Illinois' comptroller and attorney general.

Blagojevich appointed Burris to the seat once held by President Barack Obama in December, just weeks after the then-governor was arrested on charges of trying to sell the seat.

After his appointment, Burris fought waves of criticism, opposition from fellow Democrats, court battles and even a perjury investigation. He seemed to acknowledge the travails of the last seven months in his announcement.

"Serving in public life is not easy, but it is a noble and rewarding calling," he said.

Senate Democratic leaders initially vowed not to seat him, but eventually relented when he agreed to give sworn testimony about his appointment to an Illinois panel that was considering impeaching Blagojevich.

He told that panel he had talked to only one Blagojevich associate about the Senate post before it was offered, but later acknowledged other conversations. He denied having any discussions of campaign donations, but it turned out federal investigators had recorded him talking to Blagojevich's brother about the possibility of raising money for the governor.

Burris has maintained he did nothing improper to get the seat. A prosecutor who looked into whether Burris should be charged with perjury for his incomplete testimony to the impeachment panel concluded it would be impossible to prove.

Burris' fundraising has been lackluster; he raised only $845 during the first three months of 2009. Polls have shown he has little voter support and he doesn't have the backing of top Illinois politicians, including fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who has said repeatedly he would not support Burris for a full term.

Burris has often tried to avoid the media during his time in office and did not answer questions after his announcement. Reporters were roped off in an area behind 50 or so supporters at a South Side hotel.

Equality Illinois political director Rick Garcia said he thinks Burris made the right decision, but he attended Friday's event to show his support because the Chicago Democrat has been a backer of the gay community.

"One thing about good politics is you're not only with people who are on their way up, you've got to be with them on their way out," Garcia said.

Burris' decision is the latest major development in the closely watched Senate race in Illinois. On Wednesday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who would have been a likely front-runner in the Democratic primary, also opted out of the race to seek another term as the state's top lawyer.

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias plans to seek the Democratic nomination and the other Democrats are considering getting in too, including Christopher Kennedy, a Chicago businessman and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, and Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Jackson.

Republican Rep. Mark Kirk is looking at a GOP bid for the seat.

___

Associated Press Writer Henry C. Jackson in Washington contributed to this report.

Michael Jackson Hometown Memorial: Crowds Flooding Gary

2009-07-10T19:31:13Z

GARY, Ind. — Dozens of fans are lining up outside a ballpark in Michael Jackson's hometown ahead of a memorial celebration planned at the Indiana city's ballpark.

Jackson lived in the northwest Indiana city of Gary until he was 11 years old in 1969 when the Jackson 5 hit it big.

Gary's mayor says Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, is set to attend the memorial Friday night along with the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

About 50 fans waited Friday at the gates of Gary's baseball stadium before the memorial. Others were at Jackson's modest boyhood home taking photographs and buying souvenirs.

Peter Mata of Streator, Ill., was first in line at the stadium. He says he expects a celebration of Jackson's musical career Friday but knows it will also be sad.

Judy Baar Topinka Mulls Political Comeback

2009-07-10T17:26:25Z

Former state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is looking to return to state government. The Riverside Republican is eyeing a run for state comptroller, a position now held by Democrat Dan Hynes.

Republicans Call For Eliminating Lieutenant Governor Post

2009-07-10T16:42:14Z

A group of Republicans in the Illinois House said Thursday that one of their plans to save the state money is eliminating Gov. Pat Quinn's former job.

Eliminating the office of lieutenant governor would save the state about $2.5 million.

City Cancels Lease With Daley Nephew's Warehouse

2009-07-10T15:32:18Z

City Hall is breaking its month-to-month lease for a warehouse that Mayor Daley's nephew and his partners bought with city pension funds.

Emmett Till's Original Casket Found Rusting In Shack At Burr Oak Cemetery

2009-07-10T14:53:49Z

ALSIP, Ill. — Four former employees accused of digging up bodies and reselling plots at a historic black cemetery near Chicago made about $300,000 in a scheme believed to have stretched back at least four years, authorities said Friday.

Three gravediggers and a manager at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip are accused of unearthing hundreds of corpses and either dumping some in a weeded, desolate area near the cemetery or double-stacking others in graves. The cemetery is the burial place of civil rights-era lynching victim Emmett Till and blues singers Willie Dixon and Dinah Washington.

While Till's grave site was not disturbed, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said investigators found his original iconic glass-topped casket rusting in a shack at the cemetery.

The 14-year-old Chicagoan was killed in 1955 after reportedly whistling at a white woman during a visit to his uncle's house in Mississippi. Nearly 100,000 people visited the casket during a four-day public viewing in Chicago, and images of his battered body helped spark the civil rights movement.

When Till was exhumed in 2005 during an investigation of his death, he was reburied in a new casket. The original casket was supposed to be kept for a planned memorial to Till.

Thousands of families have come to the cemetery since Thursday looking for answers about their loved ones, authorities said. Hundreds of relatives, some clutching maps of the 150-acre site, were seen at the cemetery Friday.

Dart said officials have assisted the families in locating relatives' plots, and family members have reported at least 30 cases of disturbed graves and missing headstones.

The sheriff said two burials planned for Thursday also have gone wrong _ with one person initially buried in the wrong plot and another whose plot was already occupied by someone else's body.

"This is a heartless act, these graveyard robbers," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Friday. Jackson called on the cemetery's Arizona-based owner, Perpetua Inc., to answer for the conditions.

The Illinois official who regulates cemeteries said Friday that the process of revoking the cemetery's license has been started. Comptroller Daniel Hynes also said Friday his office is investigating whether the money that families paid for future cemetery needs is still safely held in a trust.

The cemetery is owned by Perpetua Holdings of Illinois. Hynes said the company is cooperating with authorities, but the horrible problems at Burr Oak justify revoking the license.

Perpetua started the investigation by calling Cook County authorities to report alleged financial wrongdoing and issued a statement Thursday that the company is cooperating with investigators.

The suspects, all of whom are black, were identified as Carolyn Towns, 49, Keith Nicks, 45, and Terrence Nicks, 39 _ all of Chicago _ and Maurice Dailey, 61, of Robbins. They each have been charged with one count of dismembering a human body, a felony.

Bond was set at $250,000 for Towns, the cemetery's manager, and at $200,000 for the other three.

Authorities said Towns also pocketed donations she elicited for a Till memorial museum. She has not been charged in connection with those allegations. Court documents show she was fired from the cemetery in late May amid allegations of financial wrongdoing.

A spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office said Towns is being represented by a private attorney, but she did not know the attorney's name. The Cook County public defender's office said it had not yet assigned attorneys to the other three cases.

Train Bound For Chicago Hits Car Near Detroit, All 5 People In Car Die

2009-07-10T14:26:05Z

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Amtrak passenger train carrying about 170 people struck a car that had skirted a gate at a road crossing near Detroit on Thursday, killing all five people in the sedan, authorities said.

The crossing has a gate and flashing lights that apparently were working when the car approached, said Sgt. Mark Gajeski, a police spokesman. Based on witness accounts, "it looks like they probably did go around the arm. They went around the gate," Gajeski said.

The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. in Canton Township, about 20 miles west of Detroit, police Sgt. Craig Wilsher said. He said the vehicle was heading north when it crossed the train tracks and was struck. The train typically travels about 67 miles per hour at the site of the crash, Gajeski said.

"All of a sudden, there was a thunk," said Alice McCardell, 45, of Dearborn, who was taking the train to a library conference in Chicago. "You knew you hit something but you didn't know what."

The black Ford Fusion was broadsided and pushed down the tracks. It crumpled underneath the front of the train and ended up right-side up, its roof and front crushed. Gajeski said the car was pushed about a mile from one road crossing to another.

The victims were a 14-year-old girl and four young men: an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old from Taylor, a 19-year-old from Woodhaven, and a 21-year-old from Stafford, Va., according to police.

Police were withholding names, but Tammy Sadler said her 14-year-old daughter, Jessica Sadler, was among those killed. Tammy Sadler was at her parents' Canton Township home _ less than a mile from the accident site _ Thursday night, where her family has been staying while moving from Taylor to Wyandotte.

Sadler, 45, told the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News that she had told her daughter to hurry home instead of going to the beach with her boyfriend.

"I told her she was going to be in trouble," Sadler said, sobbing. "She asked me if she could go to the beach and I told her no, she had to come home ... I feel I'm to blame."

The bodies had remained in the car for hours after the crash while the investigation was ongoing, but a police dispatcher said they were removed Thursday night.

James Reese, 59, of Royal Oak, who was taking the train to an Ann Arbor museum with his wife and grandson and was riding in the second car, said he felt a brief "surge" of the brakes but "no impact and no sound."

"We just knew something bad had happened when the engineer came on the loudspeaker and told us people had been hurt in the accident. Then he told us there were fatalities and we were very sad to hear that," Reese said after the train, which was headed from Detroit to Chicago, returned to the Dearborn station.

No one aboard the train was injured, an Amtrak spokesman said. Passengers were being bused to Ann Arbor to catch a later train to Chicago.

"There is every indication the train crew was doing exactly what it should have been doing and that there was no malfunction of the train," said Marc Magliari, a Chicago-based Amtrak spokesman. "They can't make vehicles, or pedestrians for that matter, heed signals."

"This is tragic for both the family of those who died and the train crew," he said.

Passenger Michael Huckaby of Cedarburg, Wis., said he could hear and feel the railroad car's couplings coming together but didn't hear a whistle.

"He hit the brakes, we hit the car," Huckaby said.

The train _ which has a front and rear engine and five passenger cars _ stopped near a landfill and a wooded area. The mangled sedan was pushed against the front of the train and investigators covered it with tarp.

While the passengers waited to leave, the rear engine was kept running so the air conditioning and bathrooms worked.

"They kept us comfortable, passed out snacks and took our dogs out for potty breaks," said Huckaby, who with his wife had traveled to Detroit with their guide dogs for a convention of the National Federation of the Blind.

Last year, 119 people died nationwide in Amtrak accidents, usually when trains struck vehicles or pedestrians at railroad crossings, according to figures from the Federal Railroad Administration. Eleven people died in train accidents of all types in Michigan in 2008, according to Federal Railroad Administration data.

The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't yet decided whether to investigate the crash, spokesman Keith Holloway said.

"Preliminary information indicates that there was no derailment, there were no fatalities on board the Amtrak" train, he said. "We don't always investigate grade-crossing accidents."

___

Associated Press writers Jeff Karoub and Jim Irwin in Dearborn, David N. Goodman and Ben Leubsdorf in Detroit and Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.

Birkett Reconsidering Running Against Madigan For Attorney General

2009-07-10T00:34:54Z

Republican Attorney General Candidate Joe Birkett appears to be reconsidering his plans following Lisa Madigan's unexpected decision to bypass running for higher office and seek a third term as Illinois Attorney General.

Birkett, the DuPage County State's Attorney, declared his candidacy July 2. He reaffirmed it after Madigan's announcement with a blustery blog post titled, "Welcome to the race, Lisa."

"Lisa Madigan's announcement does not change my plans," Birkett wrote. "I look forward to offering Illinois voters new leadership in a state that desperately needs it."

What a difference a day makes. In comments to the Daily Herald in a story published Thursday, Birkett appears to be backing off his bring 'em on stance.

"Right now, obviously, the plan is the plan," Birkett said. "I didn't formally announce, but I was indicating I would not be a candidate for governor and was looking at the attorney general's race, and that's the way it stands right now.
"Lisa Madigan's decision to retain that office is something I have to speak with my supporters about and assess the possibilities. But anybody can be beat."

As Capitol Fax's Rich Miller noted, Birkett did "formally announce" his candidacy. A YouTube video put out last week by Birkett's campaign is titled "Joe Birkett Announces for Illinois Attorney General."

Burris Won't Run For Senate Seat In 2010

2009-07-09T22:35:48Z

WASHINGTON — Sen. Roland Burris, whose deep ties to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich seemed to doom his Senate tenure from the start, will not run for a full Senate term in 2010. The move increases Democrats' chances of holding on to the former Senate seat of President Barack Obama.

Burris has begun informing fellow Democrats about his decision and is expected to make an announcement on Friday, a Democratic official and a friend of Burris' told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because Burris has yet to discuss his decision publicly.

Burris issued a press release on Thursday evening that said he planned a "major announcement" at an event in Chicago on Friday.

Burris was appointed by disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who weeks before had been arrested in part on allegations he tried to sell the Senate seat. Burris' appointment was criticized from the moment it was announced and prompted immediate calls for him to resign.

He repeatedly changed his story about the circumstances of his appointment, first claiming he never offered anything to Blagojevich, then admitting he tried _ and failed to raise money for the then-governor.

A wiretap that was released later showed Burris bartering with Robert Blagojevich, the former governor's brother and a top adviser.

A friend of Burris said Burris decided not to run because it would be impossible to change public perception of him without spending huge amounts of money. The friend said Burris doesn't believe he did anything wrong but acknowledged he faced a difficult task in getting elected.

In the Senate, Burris has been treated as something of a pariah because of his ties to Blagojevich. Democrats and Republicans alike have shunned him, refusing to partner with him on legislation and participating only in polite exchanges.

The Senate experience has been rough medicine for Burris, who viewed his appointment as the capstone to his career. The 71-year-old grew up in southern Illinois at a time when blacks weren't allowed to use the community swimming pool. He went on to become the first black man to hold a major statewide office in Illinois, serving three terms as state comptroller and two as attorney general.

His last election victory was in 1990, however. Since then, he has lost four races: three tries at the Democratic nomination for governor and one for Chicago mayor.

Accepting Blagojevich's appointment to the Senate was a way to get back into politics at the highest levels.

His reputation and accomplishments clearly matter deeply to Burris. He has already built a mausoleum for himself and his wife. It has the words "TRAIL BLAZER" carved on it, along with all his honors and titles.

By not seeking a full term, Burris increases Democrats chances of holding on to the Senate seat in 2010. Republicans had viewed Burris as a potentially easy target if he were to run for a full-term in the Senate.

Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat and the senior senator from Illinois, has said repeatedly he would not support Burris running for a full term. Other officials, including Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, have called for Burris to resign.

Burris also faced structural barriers, including anemic fundraising. Recent polls have shown most Illinois voters do not support him, and he has repeatedly changed his story about his dealings with Blagojevich.

Burris' decision not to run is the second major development in 2010 Illinois Senate race in as many days. On Wednesday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan _ a top recruit who was wooed by the White House _ announced that she would not run for Senate and instead would seek re-election.

Senate Democrats had long made clear they had little tolerance for a full bid from Burris. Other Illinois Democrats have also lined up for a chance to run for the full term.

First-term Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Christopher Kennedy, a Chicago businessman and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, and Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Jackson are all considering wading in.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Wills in Springfield, Ill., contributed to this report.

Quinn Changing Course, Will Sign $29B Capital Bill

2009-07-09T21:22:53Z

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Gov. Pat Quinn said Thursday that he plans to sign long-delayed legislation creating a huge public works program to help the Illinois economy, a decision that was greeted warmly by legislators and unions.

The Democratic governor plans to sign the roughly $29 billion construction plan on Monday.

"The best way to help our state is with a J-O-B, with jobs. I think it's the best social program ever devised," Quinn said at a news conference.

The legislation had been held up by disputes over how to balance the state budget. Quinn's decision to sign it could be seen by legislators as a good-will gesture in the continuing arguments.

Quinn also said that he might be open to a temporary budget that would keep government operating for months while negotiations continue.

The public works program will be Illinois' first major investment in roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure in nearly a decade. State government will borrow billions of dollars to pay for the construction and pay off the debt over many years with money from video gambling, higher liquor taxes and higher fees on driver's licenses and license plates.

"This plan will help get our state's economy back on its feet," James Sweeney, president of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, said in a statement.

Quinn has supported the construction program from the beginning. But when legislators wouldn't compromise with him on a new budget, Quinn said he would hold off on signing the program into law. He said Illinois couldn't take on so much debt without a budget in place.

Now, Quinn says he is optimistic a budget will be approved soon.

Despite his optimism, there has been little evidence of progress. Quinn wants a major income tax increase, Republican legislators generally favor steep budget cuts, and Democratic lawmakers can't muster the votes to raise taxes on their own.

The new fiscal year began July 1 without a budget in place.

After repeatedly rejecting the idea of a temporary budget, Quinn said Thursday that he might consider it as a "plan B" if he can't get a tax increase next week.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Burr Oak Cemetery Alsip, IL: 4 Accused Of Digging Up Bodies For Profit

2009-07-09T21:09:44Z

ALSIP, Ill. — Three gravediggers and a cemetery manager unearthed hundreds of corpses from a historic black cemetery south of Chicago, dumping some in a weeded area and double-stacking others in existing graves, in an elaborate scheme to resell the plots, authorities said Thursday. All four were charged with felonies.

Frantic relatives of the deceased descended on Burr Oak Cemetery _ the final resting place of lynching victim Emmett Till and blues singers Willie Dixon and Dinah Washington _ in hopes someone could tell them their loved ones' remains were not among the pile of bones that littered a remote area of the property in Alsip, 12 miles south of Chicago.

Some found apparently undisturbed plots, but others wandered, unable to locate loved ones.

"This is a mess. We can't find our people," said Ralph Gunn, 54, of Chicago, who filled out a report for authorities after a futile search for the headstones of his brother and nephew.

Others cried and clutched cemetery maps as they waited for a chance to look themselves. They listened as Sheriff Tom Dart said the displacement of bodies "was not done in a very delicate way," and that remains were dumped haphazardly, littered with shards of coffins. For graves stacked on top of each other, Dart said it appears they "pounded the other one down and put someone on top."

A visibly shaken Rev. Jesse Jackson voiced the mounting anger at those who would toss the bones of the dead like trash.

"In my judgment, there should be no bail for them, there should be really a special place in hell for these graveyard thieves who have done so much, hurt these families," he said.

By late afternoon, orange flags marking grave sites that might have been disturbed could be seen throughout the 150-acre cemetery, where as many as 1,000 burials are held a year. Officials took phone numbers and told family members they would call within 72 hours. Dart said FBI agents would help sort through evidence and identify bodies and that it could be months before investigators fully understand what took place.

"I feel betrayed and violated," said Gregory Mannie, 54, a Chicagoan with four relatives buried at Burr Oak. Mannie was particularly worried about his grandmother, whose grave is in a more secluded area he did not visit as often as the others. He grew suspicious when he saw it Thursday _ it seemed too clean.

"It's almost like killing them all over again," Mannie said.

Bond was set at $250,000 for Towns, the cemetery's manager, and at $200,000 for the other three.

Authorities said Towns also pocketed donations she elicited for an Emmett Till memorial museum. She has not been charged in connection with those allegations. Court documents show she was fired from the cemetery in late May amid allegations of financial wrongdoing.

Cook County state's attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said Towns is being represented by a private attorney, but Simonton did not know the attorney's name. The Cook County public defender's office said it had not yet assigned attorneys to the other three cases.

The investigation was prompted in May, when a groundskeeper discovered skeletal remains in the part of the cemetery that wasn't supposed to be used, and cemetery officials notified Alsip police. Around the same time, the cemetery's Arizona-based owner, Perpetua Inc., called Cook County authorities to report the alleged financial wrongdoing.

Towns allegedly took cash for new graves, then instructed the three gravediggers to empty existing plots and move the remains inside to an unused part of the cemetery covered with chest-high grass and dotted with trees.

Perpetua Inc., said in a statement Thursday that the company is cooperating with investigators.

"We will make every attempt to insure and maintain the dignity of those that have been entrusted to our care," the company said.

It's the second time in recent years that Burr Oak has been at the center of an investigation. In 2005, the body of the 14-year-old Till, whose slaying in 1955 in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman helped galvanize the civil rights movement, was exhumed as part of a reopened investigation of his death.

Dart said Till's grave was not disturbed in the alleged plot-selling scheme, but he did not have information about the graves of Washington and others.

One of Till's cousins who lived at the Mississippi home where Till had been staying when he was killed and witnessed the teen being dragged away by two white men, called the Burr Oak scandal "horrific."

"To me, it's just as bad as it was the night they took Emmett," Wheeler Parker said. "Emmett's thing sounded like a nightmare and a dream, and this is the same thing."

___

Associated Press Writers Don Babwin, Karen Hawkins and Christina Wright contributed to this report from Chicago.

Assessor James Houlihan Not Running For Cook County Board President

2009-07-09T20:19:52Z

Cook County Assessor James Houlihan said Thursday he will not be a candidate for Cook County Board President.

Emmett Till Memorial Fund Scam Part Of Burr Oak Cemetery Scheme

2009-07-09T19:53:57Z

The woman behind a long-running scheme to dig up bodies and resell the grave sites in a historic African American cemetery also embezzled funds from an Emmett Till memorial foundation, authorities said.

Carolyn Towns, 49, the former manager of Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, was charged along with three others Tuesday with dismembering a human body, a Class X felony. At an afternoon news conference at the cemetery, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said that Towns, of the 7500 block of S. Yates in Chicago, also pocketed money from a private foundation ostensibly set up to build a memorial to the lynched civil rights icon.

Till was a 14-year-old Chicagoan whose 1955 lynching in Mississippi helped propel the civil rights movement. He was buried in Burr Oak. His body was exhumed in 2005, as part of the investigation into his murder, before being re-buried in the same location.

Dart said that Till's remains were not disturbed in the scheme, which disinterred at least 300 bodies.

Authorities urged anyone who donated money to the Till fund or has family members at Burr Oak to contact the Sheriff's office by phone: 1-800-942-1950, option #4; or email: BURROAKCEMETERYINVESTIGATION@GMAIL.COM.

Read complete coverage of the Burr Oak Cemetery case here.

Mugshots of the accused: