Masked man wielding ‘club-like weapons’ found desecrating graves, NC police say
In what is surely a first for North Carolina, a 911 caller reported a masked swordsman was desecrating graves in a century-old cemetery, according to investigators.
The intruder was confronted just after 4 p.m. Tuesday in Kinston, and closer inspection revealed he was wielding “club-like weapons, one containing a mounted deer antler at the end.”
“Kinston Police Department’s C-Squad responded to Maplewood Cemetery on South Queen Street in reference to a report of a masked male armed with two swords who was damaging headstones,” Kinston police wrote in a March 25 Facebook post.
“Upon arrival, officers located 34-year-old Bobby Jackson inside the cemetery actively damaging multiple headstones. Jackson initially refused to drop the weapons but complied after additional officers arrived on scene.”
Backup was summoned after Jackson threatened to “murder” a detective and police officer in the cemetery, a warrant says. “The threat was made in a manner and under circumstances which would cause a reasonable person to believe that the threat was likely to be carried out,” the warrant states.
Jackson lives in Kinston, about 9 miles north of the cemetery, court records show.
He was arrested and charged with:
- Fourteen counts of felony defacing or desecrating grave sites
- Carrying a concealed weapon
- Communicating threats
- Resisting a public officer
It’s estimated each of the 14 graves suffered about $2,000 in damage, court records show.
Maplewood Cemetery covers 25 acres and dates back to 1896, according to Maplewoodcemetery.org.
Kinston is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 11:45 AM.