Arrest made after 700-pound cemetery bell stolen, scrapped for $1,300

GWINNER, N.D. — Police have made an arrest in connection with a bell stolen from a cemetery in Sargent County.

Paul Vincent, 39, of Cooperstown,N.D., is charged with theft. He is accused of stealing a 700-pound bell from White Stone Hill Cemetery in Gwinner.

Investigators told WDAY News the bell was stolen sometime between Labor Day and Sept. 4. Police were not notified about the theft until this week.

The sheriff said most of the bell was found at a regional scrap yard, where the remains were sold for $1,300. The White Stone Hill Cemetery Association said the bell had a value of $40,000.

The sheriff said Vincent refused to talk, leaving investigators unsure how many others may have been involved or how the bell was moved. He credited area residents for helping police track down the be