KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing charges in connection to a damaged gravesite headstone belonging to an unsolved homicide victim.
JoSean Lee, 20, faces charges of Harassment in the First Degree, Knowingly Disturbing a Burial Site, and Property Damage in the First Degree, all Class E felonies, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.
“Deliberately destroying a burial site is not only a criminal offense but also inflicts lasting trauma on a family already grieving for their loved one. Regardless of age, if you choose to engage in this type of destructive and disrespectful behavior, you will face serious consequences. My office will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent possible,” said Prosecutor Johnson.
According to court records, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 5900 block of Bannister Road on a property damage report on January 13. They found the top portion of a headstone belonging to a victim of an unsolved homicide knocked over and damaged.
A detective viewed a video on Instagram showing two men, one identified as Lee, standing by the headstone and yelling at the grave. The defendant is seen pouring an unknown liquid on it. In the video, Lee is seen armed with a rifle. The video also shows Lee trying to light the liquid he poured on the headstone on fire with a lighter.
The funeral home that operates the graveyard advised the headstone will need to be replaced and estimated the cost for replacement and labor to reinstall would be about $7,500-7,800.