PORTAGE, Wis. -- It's a case that a Wisconsin detective calls twisted and bizarre.
Karen Stolzmann was busted this week, accused of digging up her boyfriend's ashes from a cemetery more than a decade ago, along with the cigarettes and beer that were buried with him.
Twelve years ago, Michael Hendrickson shot and killed himself in front of Stolzmann, who was his mistress. In 1992, the 27-year-old was laid to rest in the Cambria Cemetery. But authorities said his peace was disturbed less than a month after the funeral, reported WISC-TV in Madison, Wis.
"The suspect came back and dug him up with a garden shovel," said Detective Sgt. Jay Yerges, of the Columbia County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff's deputies in Columbia County say the now-44-year-old woman drank the beer, possibly out of spite for his family. Stolzmann has been charged with a misdemeanor of concealing stolen property. She can't be charged with the felony of stealing a corpse because it happened 12 years ago, outside the statute of limitations.
Hendrickson's family was not aware that Michael's body wasn't still buried until rumors surfaced three weeks ago. Then, Hendrickson's mother called the Columbia County coroner.
"She had gotten information that someone had stolen the remains from her son's gravesite," said Marc Playman, Columbia County Coroner.
"We dug extra wide, extra long, extra deep, and unfortunately, did not find him," Yerges said.
A search warrant was issued for Stolzmann, and Yerges recovered the urn with Hendrickson's remains. Police said Stolzmann not only had it in her possession for the past 12 years, but the urn followed her from Sheboygan, Wis., to Atlanta, where she lived for six years, and back to Sheboygan.
The victim's family said they couldn't believe it.
"They see this as a very serious offense against them," Yerges said.
In a few days, Hendrickson's ashes may finally rest in peace. But his ashes may not rest at the cemetery.
"They don't know if he's safe there, if she'll possibly come back and do this over again," Yerges said.
