Arrests Made After Nearly 200 Bronze Vases Stolen From Cemetery

GOLDSBORO — Two people have been arrested in connection with the theft of approximately 200 bronze vases from gravesites at Wayne Memorial Park.

According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the thefts occurred between November 2025 and January 2026 at the cemetery, which is located along Highway 117 South in the Mar Mac community.

Following an investigation, deputies charged Lewis Cody Honeycutt, 35, of Old Smithfield Road, Goldsboro and Crystal Lynn Yancey, 46, of Becton Circle, Goldsboro in connection with the case.

Honeycutt is charged with 26 counts each of disturbing a casket or grave marker, misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property, along with two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. He is being held on a secured bond of $150,000.

Yancey faces 26 counts each of disturbing a casket or grave marker, misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property, as well as four counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. Her bond was also set at $150,000 secured.

Sheriff Larry Pierce said the thefts caused significant emotional harm to families in the community.

“These cases were unconscionable and deeply hurtful for many families,” Pierce said in a statement.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated.

Authorities are encouraging anyone who discovers a missing or recently stolen vase from a loved one’s gravesite to report it to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.