ST. LOUIS—Two men are accused of digging up their grandmother’s grave in a north St. Louis County cemetery. 

Zebulun Nash, 73 of Houston, and Jimmie V. Allen of St. Louis are charged with attempting to destroy or deface cemetery property. It comes months after Berkeley Police were called to Washington Park Cemetery for reported property damage in August. 

Court documents state the officer found Allen throwing dirt from a grave site. The officer says he also saw Nash nearby covered in dirt and talking on a cellphone. 

The officer said Nash stated he was retrieving his grandmother’s corpse to relocate her body and that Allen had been helping him “dig up the grave” over the past few days. 

The charging document also states Allen told officers he had completed most of the digging at the gravesite and was helping Nash.

Neither of the men had permission to retrieve a corpse from the cemetery.

The charges were issued through summons. Nash is due back in court in December.