After a hearing full of emotional testimony, a Pike County couple learned their fate in relation to three charges of violating graves, which they pleaded guilty to in January.
Pike Circuit Court Judge Eddy Coleman sentenced Douglas Gooslin, 56, and Kristie Bentley, 45, both of Pinson Road, Belfry, to serve 12 months in the Pike County Detention Center with five years of supervised probation upon release.
During the hearing, Coleman heard testimony from both Gooslin and Bentley, as well as victim impact statements from those whose loved ones’ graves were violated.
Court documents show, in June, 2021, Gooslin and Bentley were observed stealing several items from multiple graves at Mountain View Memorial Gardens in Huddy.
Upon making contact with Bentley and Gooslin at their residence on June 10, 2021, the citation said, Kentucky State Police found and recovered more than $2,000 worth of gravesite decorations. The recovered items had been stolen from the graves of fallen Trooper Jonathan Leonard, his mother, Karen Leonard, and University of Pikeville student-athlete Tyler Williams over a period of approximately three years, the citation said.
During the thefts, court documents said, Bentley and Gooslin damaged both property at the cemetery and the gravesites.
Marsha Williams, Tyler Williams’ mother and a family friend of Jonathan and Karen Leonard, spoke during the sentencing hearing.
“There are no words to explain how you feel when your child’s grave has been violated,” said Marsha Williams.
It isn’t about money spent or money lost, she said, as every item put on a gravesite is special and sacred.
“You go to a grave site to mourn and grieve,” she said. “And celebrate their lives.”
Jonathan, Karen and Tyler were upstanding citizens in the community, Marsha Williams said after the hearing.
Jonathan, a fallen Kentucky State Trooper, dedicated his life to serving others; his mother Karen was an advocate for the police force and would give anyone the shirt off her back; and Tyler was an outstanding student athlete and leader in his school and community, she said.
None of them deserved to have their final resting places disturbed, Marsha Williams said.
Both Bentley and Gooslin said they are remorseful and testified that they are different people now, as they completed treatment through the Addiction Recovery Care Center (ARC).
“I feel horrible about this,” said Gooslin. “The person that did this is not here anymore; I was on drugs.”
Bentley echoed that statement.
“I’m very sorry for the humiliation it’s caused your all’s families,” said Bentley. “The me here today is different than the me in June.”
In her statement, Marsha Williams said the presence of the addiction does not diminish the nature of the crime.
“I don’t know how a person could do that,” said Marsha Williams. “I don’t know how a person could violate a grave like that.”
Bentley and Gooslin testified that they only stole from the grave sites one time.
However, evidence in the case suggested otherwise.
Pike Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Slone said he believes both Bentley and Gooslin committed a felony in the courtroom by committing perjury.
“I think that when they came in here to show remorse,” said Slone, “they came in here and committed perjury, a felony, in this courtroom today.”
Marsha Williams, too, said the couple lied on the stand, as she said she has video and photo evidence of them taking things on several occasions.
Slone recommended the couple spend at least some time incarcerated.
“This is the type of theft that really strikes a nerve,” said Slone.
After moments of consideration, Coleman said he was “almost at a loss.”
Also echoing Slone and Marsha Williams, Coleman said this wasn’t a one-time thing.
Coleman sentenced the couple to serve five years on each count to run concurrent with each other, probated with alternative sentencing.
After credit for time served in the ARC program, the couple will spend 252 days in the Pike County Detention Center and subsequently serve five years of supervised probation.
Marsha Williams said that, while there is no happy ending here, the verdict partially restored her faith in the Pike County justice system.
“We are very pleased,” she said. “Justice has been served.”
Marsha Williams said that she ultimately wanted the victims to be heard and wanted to get the message out that if an individual commits such a heinous crime as violating graves, they will be punished.
Now that it is over, she said, she hopes that she and the other families with loved ones resting at Mountain View Memorial Gardens can have some closure.
“I’m hoping with this we can have a little bit of closure,” Marsha Williams said. “And a little bit of peace.”