VeeshanVault

Grave Robber Sentenced

BY JAMES JARDINE Staff Writer
Thursday June 29, 2006

ST. JOHNSBURY VERMONT
A Morrisville teenager who broke into a tomb and used a hacksaw to cut the head off of a corpse was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to 1 to 7 years in prison.

Nickolas Buckalew, 18, pleaded guilty in Caledonia District Court to a felony charge of intentionally removing or injuring a tombstone and a felony charge of intentionally disinterring and carrying away the remains of a human body.

The Lamoille County case was transferred to the Caledonia courthouse in St. Johnsbury after a waterline failure left the Hyde Park courthouse without water.

On April 8, 2005, Buckalew went to a cemetery on the Washington highway in Morrisville and broke into an above-ground tomb, opened the lid of a casket and cut off the head of a corpse. He wrapped the head in plastic bags and took it home. He also stole eyeglasses and a bow tie from the corpse.

Buckalew told witnesses he intended to leave the severed head out and would then bleach it, according to the affidavit of Senior Patrolman Ryan Bjerke of the Morristown Police Department. He told witnesses he intended to turn the skull into a bong, which is a type of pipe used to smoke marijuana or other drugs.

After removing the head from the corpse, Buckalew went to an apartment house where he told residents of an apartment what he had done and that he had done the crimes because he was bored, according to police, who did not identify the witnesses because they are juveniles.

Buckalew was described by witnesses as "Gothic," wearing all black clothing with spiked hair.

Witnesses went to the tomb to see if Buckalew did as he claimed and they looked through holes in the tomb and saw that the lid had been removed from a casket and there was a headless body in the casket.

On April 9 at 2:45 p.m., Morristown police executed a search warrant at Buckalew's residence located at 1591 Elmore St. in Morrisville. They found a human head wrapped in bags, a necktie, a hacksaw, crowbar, garden trowel and two small parts of the damaged casket.

During Wednesday afternoon's sentencing hearing, Judge Dennis Pearson upheld the plea agreement between the state and the defendant and sentenced Buckalew to a total of 1 to 7 years to serve in prison. Buckalew was given credit for the 14 months he's served in prison awaiting trial. He will be sent to Spring Lake Ranch in Cuttingsville, Vt., a therapeutic community residential treatment program, where he will obtain intensive counseling for mental health issues. He will remain there for an indeterminate period under a conditional community reentry program. He will be in the custody of the Department of Corrections for up to seven years under the conditional reentry program.

Dr. Philip Kinsler, a clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at the Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H., testified that Buckalew suffered from a bipolar disorder that was described as "biologically based mental illness." He testified learning from Buckalew that "he has always felt extraordinarily out of place" and that Buckalew told him that in the fourth grade he attempted to hang himself.

The witness told the court Buckalew also engaged in self-mutilation behavior.

Dr. Kinsler told the court "the defendant can be rehabilitated" and that he supported the plan to place Buckalew at the Spring Lake Ranch for treatment.

Buckalew, with a short haircut and wearing black framed glasses, was dressed in a light brown suit. He was quiet and expressionless throughout the hearing. At the end of the hearing, he addressed the court saying, "It was a horrendous thing that I did -- what I did was appalling." He told the court, "I didn't think of the victim." Buckalew told the court: "I want to get help for my mental problems."

Kylere wrote:Pot did not cause this, the every children is special concept is more likely the culprit.

Trek wrote:

Kylere wrote:Pot did not cause this, the every children is special concept is more likely the culprit.

I think I smoked to much pot because this make no sense!

Kylere wrote:

Trek wrote:

Kylere wrote:Pot did not cause this, the every children is special concept is more likely the culprit.

I think I smoked to much pot because this make no sense!

You know the premise that every child is special, every child is unique, they should not have to learn to spell beause it hampers their ability to answer, they all get contestant badges and no one is selected as winner. They cannot be punished for acting as demon seed because they are just acting out because mommy made under 6 figures last year. That is what we have been pushing, the everyone gets to play concept. Then they turn 15-16 and find out all that is BS, and they freak out. They end up shooting up schools, digging up graves, and living with mommy and daddy until they are 35.

Kylere wrote:the every children is special concept

noel wrote:Every single day that passes Kylere becomes a day older, more set in his ways, more sure of himself, more angry at the way things are, nostalgic at the way things were and of course less tolerant of 'those meddling kids'. Sadly, he's latched on to this community so we've become witness to this downward spiral.

Kylere wrote:

noel wrote:Every single day that passes Kylere becomes a day older, more set in his ways, more sure of himself, more angry at the way things are, nostalgic at the way things were and of course less tolerant of 'those meddling kids'. Sadly, he's latched on to this community so we've become witness to this downward spiral.

Every single day Noel proves he cannot change his mind, reevaluate things and that he wants to hook up with his Canadian girlfriend.

Kylere wrote:You know the premise that every child is special, every child is unique, they should not have to learn to spell beause it hampers their ability to answer, they all get contestant badges and no one is selected as winner. They cannot be punished for acting as demon seed because they are just acting out because mommy made under 6 figures last year. That is what we have been pushing, the everyone gets to play concept. Then they turn 15-16 and find out all that is BS, and they freak out. They end up shooting up schools, digging up graves, and living with mommy and daddy until they are 35.

Jice Virago wrote:Is that avatar a depiction of how you earned a sword?

Jice Virago wrote:Is that avatar a depiction of how you earned a sword?

Aslanna wrote:

Jice Virago wrote:Is that avatar a depiction of how you earned a sword?

Zing!

I love this place.

LadyTaly wrote: So much for maturing by some


Seriously can't believe you guys still have an issue with that so long ago. It is very funny LOL

Sylvus wrote:Just playing devil's advocate here, but isn't 7 years in prison a bit excessive for stealing the head off a dead body? He's not using it anymore, and I can assure you that he doesn't even realize it's gone. I mean, I guess it's not really cool to disturb one's remains, but I think a lot of those guys that Dateline catches for trying to have sex with kids get off a lot easier than that. No pun intended.

To paraphrase David Cross, when I die just donate my body to some necrophiliacs. Let someone have some fun with it, I won't care because I won't be able to care anymore.

Boogahz wrote:If the person did this to a member of my family (yes, I still consider them a member of the family after they pass away), I would say we remove the same part from the offender as they removed from the body.