FOX CROSSING — Six 150-year-old cast iron grave markers stolen from St. Patrick’s Cemetery have been recovered following a Fox Crossing PD investigation.
After being reported stolen in May 2025, detectives traced one cross to a Facebook Marketplace post, leading to 58-year-old Bradley W. Bloch of Lamartine, WI, according to a news release.
Evidence placed Bloch near the cemetery during the thefts. Over several months, all six crosses were tracked back to various buyers in Wisconsin and Illinois and eventually all six were recovered.
Each cross is valued at $10-$15,000 to replace due to their size, weight, and historic nature. Felony theft charges were recommended to the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office.
“We thank the public and partner agencies for helping return these irreplaceable pieces of local history that mark the final resting places of Wisconsinites who passed away in the 1800’s,” Fox Crossing police wrote on Facebook.
