Aiken man steals human ashes in bid to buy heroin, deputies say

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WARRENVILLE, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - An Aiken man stole the cremated remains of of ex-girlfriend’s mom so he could sell them for heroin, according to deputies.

The grim scheme landed him in jail.

The ex-girlfriend said she left her home in the 1000 block of Augusta Road in Warrenville around 10 p.m. Tuesday to go to a friend’s house.

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Then around 5:40 a.m. Wednesday, her ex-boyfriend Jackson Rutland, 19, called to tell her he’d taken some of her mom’s ashes.

According to an arrest warrant, he planned to sell the ashes to get the heroin.

When the victim returned home, she found the rear door had been kicked in and the home had been ransacked.

She said her mom’s ashes had been tampered with, and some had been spread over the floor.

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Rutland was arrested around 11 p.m. Thursday and booked into Aiken County jail on charges of destruction, desecration or removal of human remains as well as burglary, according to jail records.

It’s unclear how he thought he would get enough money for the remains to purchase heroin.

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” said sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah.