2 men accused of stealing more than 100 vases from graves at Waldorf cemetery

Nbcwashington · Jul 22, 2026 · 472 words · By Aimee Cho

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What to know about Victim Impact

Every month, Maddie Shotwell takes her young kids to visit her dad and grandparents in their final resting place at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, Maryland.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Every month, Maddie Shotwell takes her young kids to visit her dad and grandparents in their final resting place at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, Maryland.

Why it matters

It’s a family tradition she learned from her dad, who died last year after battling cancer and a stroke.

Common ground

“It was so important to him, the respect of his parents’ graves,” Shotwell said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Victim Impact story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the sheriff’s office told her they found the vases that went on her father’s and grandparents’ graves?
How does this story connect Victim Impact with Crime and Justice over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/2-men-accused-of-stealing-more-than-100…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 80% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 2

schedule Pending 1

info Single Source 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

schedule

Claim 1: “the sheriff’s office told her they found the vases that went on her father’s and grandparents’ graves”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Both suspects were held without bond”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that the suspects are being held without bond.

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Claim 3: “Detectives said they went to that dealer and were able to save about 100 vases before they got melted down”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (FOX 5 DC, Daily Voice, and another news report) confirm that approximately 100 vases were recovered from a scrap metal facility before being melted down.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Up to 100 vases were recovered from a scrap metal recycling facility before being processed or melted down. Trey Franklin Mason (left) & David Anthony Downing (right) (Charles County Sheriff’s Office)…
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/2-arrested-after-more-than-100-v…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Detectives determined that roughly 100 of the vases stolen during the first wave had already been hauled to a scrap metal recycling facility outside Charles County and were on the verge of disappearin…
https://dailyvoice.com/article/over-100-cemetery-vases-stole…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Detectives said they went to that dealer and were able to save about 100 vases before they got melted down. Shotwell said she’s not sure yet of the next steps. The cemetery told her they’re still tryi…
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/2-men…

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Claim 4: “who both face multiple theft charges”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the suspects face multiple charges related to the theft of the bronze vases.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following are notable writers, performers, stage managers, directors, producers, and musicians who have collaborated on revues at The Second City.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alumni_of_the_Second_C…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trey Miguel McBrayer (born August 30, 1994), better known by his ring name Trey Miguel, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Miguel

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trey David Yesavage (born July 28, 2003) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the East Carolina Pirates…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Yesavage

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “the Charles County Sheriff’s Office announced it arrested two suspects in the case: 25-year-old Trey Mason and 34-year-old David Downing”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (FOX 5 DC and other web results) identify Trey Franklin Mason and David Anthony Downing as the suspects arrested by the Charles County Sheriff's Office for the theft.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) is a law enforcement agency serving Alameda County, California. ACSO is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALE…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alameda_County_Sheriff's_Offic…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Charles County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is a nationally accredited, full-service law enforcement agency servicing a population of 166,617 within 457.8 square miles (1,186 km2) of Charles County, Ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_County_Sheriff's_Offic…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is a joint city-county law enforcement agency which has primary responsibility for law enforcement, investigation, and corrections within the consolidated City …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Sheriff's_Office

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “both her dad and grandparents’ vases, worth about $900 each, were missing”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence confirms vases were stolen from Trinity Memorial Gardens, the specific valuation of $900 per vase for the family members mentioned is not present in the provided evidence. Other search results discuss different cemeteries (Rolling Green, Brooklawn).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Impossible (Spanish: Lo imposible) is a 2012 English-language Spanish biographical disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It is based on the experience of M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Impossible_(2012_film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “If convicted, Mason could face up to five years behind bars”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries for the name 'Trey' and 'Trey Parker', but does not contain the specific sentencing details for Trey Mason.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Look up trey or Trey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Trey. If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Randolph Severn " Trey " Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and songwriter. [1][2] He studied film and Japanese at the University of Colorad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Parker

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 16, 2026 · The meaning of TREY is a shot in basketball that counts for three points.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trey

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Claim 8: “the goal was to make money by selling the vases to a scrap metal dealer”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (cleveland.com and others) explicitly state the suspects intended to sell the bronze vases to a scrap metal dealer/facility.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Police recover stolen cemetery vases worth more than $100,000 in Maryland theft investigation.The sheriff’s office said the suspects allegedly intended to sell the bronze items for scrap. Authorities …
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/07/2-arrested-after-more…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Authorities recovered over $100,000 worth of stolen bronze vases before they were processed at a scrap metal facility. The suspects face multiple charges and are being held without bond after being ca…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/2-men-charged-stealin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The thieves, who apparently intended to sell the vases as scrap metal, were nabbed by an enterprising family who used an Apple AirTag to catch them.“They had actually tried to take the entire vases to…
https://nypost.com/2023/06/03/how-an-apple-airtag-helped-loc…

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Claim 9: “Downing received more serious charges and could face up to 20 years”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding the specific sentencing maximum for David Downing.

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Claim 10: “the vase on your family’s memorial was stolen”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (NBC San Diego via web search and Wide Open Country) confirm that bronze memorial vases were stolen from Trinity Memorial Gardens.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada (Spanish for 'The Enchanted Hill'), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph H…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_Castle

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Palace of Fontainebleau ( FON-tin-bloh, US also -⁠bloo; French: Château de Fontainebleau [ʃɑto d(ə) fɔ̃tɛnblo]), located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of F…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Fontainebleau

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tiffany glass refers to the many types of art glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1932 at the Tiffany Studios in New York City, by Louis Comfort Tiffany and a team of other designers, including …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_glass

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 11: “Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, Maryland”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Multiple web search results and a Wikipedia entry for Waldorf confirm that Trinity Memorial Gardens is located in Waldorf, Maryland.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader, and singer known as "The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Brown

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Waldorf is a census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located 23 miles (37 km) south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of Southern Maryland. Its population was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf,_Maryland

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) was an American-English attorney, politician, diplomat, hotelier, publisher and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the ver…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Waldorf_Astor

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.