- Halloween decorations apparently were stolen from Eli Augustine's grave at the Lehi cemetery.
- Elaine Augustine, Eli's mother, expressed sadness over the theft of "Mr. Bones."
- Community support has uplifted the family, with offers to replace the skeleton.
LEHI — A woman said Tuesday the Halloween decorations she placed at her son's grave vanished over the weekend, apparently stolen from the city's cemetery, and she urged others to respect items left to honor loved ones.
Elaine Augustine said her son, Eli, passed away on Nov. 17, 2021, at the age of 13 from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer.
"He was a fighter," Augustine said. "He was a great kid, and I miss him."
After Eli's death, the family made it a tradition to decorate his headstone around Halloween.
"One of Eli's favorite holidays is Halloween," Augustine said during an interview with KSL-TV. "He would think it was hilarious if we put a skeleton out on his gravesite."
So became "Mr. Bones," a skeleton, Augustine decorated and stocked with a bowl of candy for cemetery visitors.
"We wanted it to be a fun thing and not, like, morbid," she explained. "It was my friend who made a placard that said something to the effect of, 'One of Eli's favorite holidays is Halloween, so we wanted, in his honor, to provide a treat for you.'"
The visitors definitely noticed the display.
"I just thought it was always so beautiful that she would do that in the name of her own son," said Tiara Webb, who regularly visits her mother's grave at the cemetery after her death in 2024. "It actually made me even look up his own story."
It was upsetting for everyone to learn that sometime after Halloween night, "Mr. Bones" vanished from the Lehi City Cemetery, 1525 N. 600 East.
"To take the skeleton, that was just so sad," said Webb, who also expressed her support on Augustine's Facebook post about the matter. "That's just uncalled for and, honestly, just extremely rude."
Augustine said she initially feared the city may have removed the display, but the city's response to her Facebook post confirmed it was not city workers.
She told KSL she was saddened somebody would simply steal the skeleton display.
"I think they just don't understand how much that can hurt," Augustine said.
I know we've lost 'Mr. Bones,' but we have this community that cares about us. How can you not feel good about that?
–Elaine Augustine
She said she is pleased by the showing of community support since the apparent theft.
"They said, 'We hope you'll still do this again,'" Augustine said. "There was someone who has even offered to replace the skeleton."
She said the responses have made the ordeal "better," though she hopes whoever took "Mr. Bones" might return him.
"I know we've lost 'Mr. Bones,' but we have this community that cares about us," Augustine said. "How can you not feel good about that?"
