Babies' Graves Vanish From Ill. Cemetery

Locals search for loved ones' graves at desecrated cemetery

(NEWSER) - As Chicagoans mourned the desecration of a historic cemetery, the casket of civil rights icon Emmett Till was found rusted in a shack amid garbage and gravestones, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. “When we opened it up trying to find what we have, a family of possums ran out,” said the county sheriff. Till’s body had been exhumed in 2005 during an investigation of his 1955 killing. More»

Illinois cemetery employees excavated graves, dumped remains for cash

(NEWSER) - Four employees of a historic Chicago-area cemetery face charges after police uncovered a gruesome scheme to excavate graves, remove the human remains, and resell the plots, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. One manager and three grave diggers at Burr Oak Cemetery are charged with dismembering a human body, which carries of a sentence of 6 to 30 years. Cook County police estimate the quartet dug up about 300 graves and made hundreds of thousands of dollars. More»

Welcome to the capital of Illinois ... doh

(NEWSER) - Chicago hosts a NATO summit later this month, and NATO officials have a handsome new video out trumpeting the choice of the city. The problem, points out the Chicago Tribune , is that said video needed a fact-checker:

• It referred to Chicago as the capital of Illinois. Sorry, Springfield.
• It said President Obama "grew up" in the city. Sorry Honolulu and Jakarta.
• It said the Tribune was founded by Col. Robert McCormick. Sorry James Kelly, John E. Wheeler, and Joseph KC Forest.

Teen beat white because of anger over case: cops

(NEWSER) - A black teenager in suburban Chicago told police that he beat up a white youth during a robbery because he was angry about the Trayvon Martin case, according to the state attorney's office. Alton Hayes, 18, has been charged with a hate crime, as well as aggravated battery and attempted robbery, the Chicago Tribune reports. More»

Last meal before jail: fast food

(NEWSER) - As Rod Blagojevich's car headed to prison from the Denver airport yesterday, it didn't stop at the entrance of the correctional facility. Then it passed by again. Turns out the former Illinois governor and his lawyer got lost, then opted to grab Blago's last lunch before serving his time, according to the lawyer. The meal was provided by fast-food burger joint Freddy's, MSNBC reports. "You're the guy from the Apprentice," said a woman as he posed for photos. More»