Teenagers who stole cremated remains of homeowner’s father thought it was cocaine

Three teenage burglars in St. Louis, Missouri, thought they were stealing cocaine, but it turned out to be the cremated remains of the homeowner’s father, police said. The thieves realised their mistake after one of them tasted the ashes. Then they threw the cremains out of a car window, police said.

Devin M. Gesell, 17, of St. Charles, is charged with burglary and two counts of theft in the case. His accomplices, ages 15 and 16, were referred to juvenile authorities for charges. The burglary happened in November at a home in St Peters. Detectives tracked the three down through an IP address used on one of the stolen items, an Xbox 360 game system, police said. Gesell was charged this week.



According to police, the three were acquaintances of the family who lived at the home. They planned the burglary after seeing a posting on Facebook that said the family was going to be out of town. Gesell told police that one of the juveniles broke the glass out of the rear door of the home, unlocked it and entered the residence.

He said he had acted as a lookout while the two others took items that included the game system, cash, jewellery, prescription bottles of oxycodone and morphine and the ashes, which were in a wooden box. Police said Gesell could not remember where they had been driving when they discarded the remains. His bail is set at $10,000 cash-only.