Deputies investigate damage at Brownsville cemetery
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BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — A West Tennessee cemetery sits partially in ruins after vandals destroy gravestones that have been around for more than a hundred years. A mangled entrance to the Chestnut Grove Cemetery is now one of the many painful memories vandals have left behind. “People put these up for their families and stuff like that,” Matt McKenzie said. “People go through things to put up these graves and then for someone to demolish them.” McKenzie lives next door to the cemetery where he said he was able to catch a glimpse of who may be responsible for the destruction. “The truck ran into the grave and ran into them, apparently,” McKenzie said. “It ran into the grave and spun around and then ran back up into the road.” Tombstones are now completely separated from what was supposed to be a final resting place, and tire marks can be seen on one of them. McKenzie said the area around the cemetery is a popular spot for teens to gather, calling it somewhat of a late-night party destination. “We’ve had to tell them to leave and things like that. I’m assuming that may have a little to do with it,” McKenzie said. McKenzie said the truck the vandals were driving was black. Anyone with information that could help catch the vandals is asked to call the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office at 731-772-2412.
