FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- Fort Smith Police are investigating after 50 brass vases were stolen from Woodlawn Cemetery in Fort Smith.
"There is no excuse for this type of vandalism," Jackie Miller said. Millers' parents are buried at Woodlawn and she said after seeing the story on the news, she went to check to see if her parents' vases were missing.
"My mom passed away in 2003 and my dad was alone," Miller said. "I lost my job where I used to live, and I moved in with him, so I had his last few years with him. We got to be really close."
As Miller visits her parents, this time she has no where to place the flowers she brought.
"People would steal my flowers, and I thought that was bad, but stealing a vase, I don't know how to express it," Miller said. "It just angers me, it hurts me that someone would do that to my parents' graves."
Police said the thieves took the vases to a shop in Russellville where they tried to pawn them. That's when police were tipped off by the shop owners. The thefts are still under investigation.
"I think they should take them and lock them up and throw away the key," Miller said.
As she tries to move forward, Jackie said she worries that she may not be able to replace her parents' vases.
"The [vases] are several hundred dollars," Miller said. "I just retired, there's no way I can replace that or pay for it."
The cemetery's manager said they are working with a vase company to get a discounted price for family's to replace their loved one's vases.
Police recovered more than half of the stolen vases, but said many of them are damaged.