Vandals damage dozens of headstones at historic cemetery in Bellingham



BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- Detectives are investigating a major incident of vandalism at the historic Bayview Cemetery after people tipped over 47 headstones and markers last week.

"We’re all disheartened by the fact that somebody vandalized these monuments of somebody's loved ones and the lack of respect they have for this site," Marvin Harris, Bellingham parks operations manager, said Monday.

The Bayview Cemetery is a resting place for more than 24,000 people. Some of the headstones date back to the 1800s. Officials say this recent act of vandalism is one of the worst they've seen at the cemetery.

John Glenn visits the cemetery five days a week to walk his dog and pay his respects. He doesn't have much respect for the people who did all the damage.

"I feel like they crawled out from under a rock in order to do it," Glenn said.  "It’s very disturbing. It’s a poor trend."

Officials say it will take weeks and cost thousands of dollars to get the headstones back where they belong.