An elderly woman’s purse was stolen from her car while she visited her sister’s grave at Lawnwood Memorial Park cemetery in Covington Monday morning, she said.

Jessie Carney, 72, of Covington, said she had just gone to the bank to take out $64 to buy new flowers for the grave, totaling about $100 in her purse. The only people she noticed at the cemetery when she entered were the lawnmowers.
As she was at her sister’s grave near the garden shack, Carney said, she turned around to see a black male at her car, who proceeded to take her purse from the car and run into nearby woods.

“I’m a very cautious person, but I didn’t think I had to be that cautious in the graveyard. I was just so upset,” Carney said.

She said she has been going to the cemetery, located at 1111 Access Road, for about 50 years to change flowers.
“Who thinks they’re going to get robbed at a cemetery?” Carney said. “Because it only takes a few minutes to take them flowers.”

The report from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office stated $72 was stolen with the purse that was left in the passenger seat floor board. Deputies responded to the incident, according to the report, at 11:56 a.m.

Investigator Michael Cunningham said the report did not indicate whether a suspect had been located but that he believed no one has been. He said Carney’s windows were partially down.

Deputies searched the area, including the wood lines, Cunningham said, and the purse was found in the woods.
There have been no recent similar incidents at this cemetery, Cunningham said.

An investigator has been assigned to the case.