By Stephanie Sonntag
A vandal stole the head and hand of 6-foot statue of Christ from a local Orem cemetery Sunday night, March 5, 2006.
The imported Italian statue has stood in the middle of the cemetery for 50 years.
David Condon, sexton of the Timpanogos Memorial Gardens Cemetery, said that it is worth between $20,000 and $40,000.
Condon said the vandal probably used a long handle sledgehammer to destroy the statue because the figure is mounted on a pedestal making it around 8-feet tall.
'I have no idea why someone would do something this stupid,' Condon said. 'It''s not just a religious sculpture, it was a beautiful piece of art that was really well done.'
For now, the statue stands desecrated in the center of the cemetery. It weighs around 7,000 pounds and requires a crane to move.
The cemetery plans to repair the statue if the police can locate the vandal.