ALFRED, Maine (AP) A funeral home worker in Maine has been charged with stealing a wedding ring from the body of a 102-year-old woman after she died in a nursing home.
Stuart Weston, 51, of Sanford, stole the ring from Laura Wood, who died at Seal Rock Healthcare in Saco on Jan. 21, police said. Weston, who worked at Autumn Green Funeral Home in Alfred, was arrested on Feb. 23.
The arrest came after police obtained video evidence that he sold the ring to Maine Gold & Silver in South Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The wedding ring has been recovered and family members have expressed relief, but are also appalled that it was stolen in the first place, the Press Herald reported. Wood’s granddaughter, Emily Coyne of Cape Elizabeth, called the ordeal “an awful distraction to our ability to grieve her.”
Weston is scheduled to appear in court in June. The funeral home said in a statement it was “upset and incredibly disappointed to learn of the recent allegations.”
A phone listing for Weston in Sanford was disconnected. It was unclear if he has retained a lawyer.
