Indian mounds in Monroe County, Miss. Looted

In northern Mississippi, 41-year-old Jerome Daniel Young of Nettleton and 36-year-old Marty Dean Kennedy of Wren have been arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department as suspects in an ongoing investigation for violating the Antiquities Act. They are accused of digging into an Indian mound in Monroe County.

Sheriff Cecil Cantrell and his men recovered five artifacts Saturday after the two had sold them to a man in Nettleton. [...] "we've probably recovered somewhere between, at this point, 70 [different items]." [...] The artifacts were sold for $1,300 and then sold again for a profit, Cantrell said.

The investigation is ongoing, and several other people are believed to be involved in trade in these items.

Already investigating authorities have been notified of another episode of looting of a Native American burial site. Landowner Mike Harris contacted the Sherrif's office on Monday to say that he had caught people more than once digging on his property.

Signs of digging are found throughout the area which used to be a Native American settlement and later a place of rest for the dead. Sheriff Cantrell says the two men recently arrested admitted to stealing antiquities from a mound in the Aberdeen area, but they have not confessed to any other crime. "It's the same thing as digging in somebody's grave the way I see it. We've always been told if we turned them in all they could do is get them for trespassing," Harris said.

Members of the Chickasaw Nation are expected to travel to Northeast Mississippi to view more than 70 antiquities that have been recovered.

Sources:
Wayne Hereford, 'Indian mounds in Monroe County desecrated', WTVA 19.03.12
Susan Parker, 'Indian mound investigation continues' WTVA 19th March 2012