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Being around a celebrity can make people do all sorts of funny things, from snapping sneaky selfies to trying to steal scraps of their leftovers. And sometimes, the desire to get close to the famous continues even after the celebrity in question has died. These five notables all had their final resting places invaded by people hoping for a souvenir—or, in some cases, more.
1. F.W. MURNAU
German film director F.W. Murnau, best known for Nosferatu (1922), died in 1942. But in 2015, his grave in Stahnsdorf was broken into, and someone made off with his skull. According to reports in the German press, the robbers left behind a wax residue, probably from candles. No one has been caught, but the tabloids speculated that there might’ve been some kind of occult motivation behind the crime. It might also, of course, just have been stolen as a ghoulish trophy.
A man pointing to the spot where Chaplin’s coffin was found. Image credit: Getty Images
The motive behind the 1978 theft of Charlie Chaplin’s body was much more obvious: The thieves were hoping to hold it for ransom. The silent film star died on Christmas Day, 1977, and was buried shortly afterward. In March of the following year, a pair of opportunistic mechanics dug up his grave and stole his coffin. After stashing the body in a nearby cornfield, they called Chaplin’s widow, Oona, and made their demands: about $600,000 in cash.
