Stolen Hearse Goes Up In Flames

Kevin Cease of Cease Family Funeral Homes is use to being in the back of the church but that quickly changed when he learned that a hearse was stolen from the family business.

“We came to work on Monday morning and the garage door was open and the hearse was not there and it was a very strange feeling, very unsettling,” said Cease Family Funeral Homes Funeral Director Kevin Cease.

Someone broke into the garage of the funeral home and stole one of the Cadillac hearses similar to this one. Considering the type of business they’re in where they help others during difficult times the news was shocking.

“My family was extremely distraught extremely upset about this because we feel anytime you have activity against you it feels personal,” said Cease

According to Cease the hearse was locked away in the garage and police responded right away and there were no witnesses. Detective Heather Holden with the Bemidji Police couldn’t be identified on camera but says that the investigation is ongoing and she doesn’t believe this was a targeted incident.

“We don’t have a lot of information as to who stole it. We do have some physical evidence that we submitted to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis to their laboratory. Once we get that information back we may be able to go further in finding some more suspects,” said  Holden.

The hearse was eventually found damaged and burned In Clearwater County and is a total loss. Hearses can cost a hundred thousand dollars. In the meantime Cease says they take security very serious and only brought the hearse out of the garage for a funeral.

“When it comes down to it who the heck takes a hearse and then burns it?” said Cease.

Cease says the outpouring support from the community has made it a lot better.