A wooden cross from the Lutheran Campus Ministries memorial site was found burned Monday morning.

Sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, an unmarked cross from the memorial site at Lutheran Campus Ministries, 401 Normal Road, was set on fire. It is believed the suspects attempted to light the cross on fire at the site and then moved it to a spot 100 feet north of Lucinda Avenue and set it on fire there, said Lt. Gary Spangler of the DeKalb Police Department.

The cloth draped on the cross was set on fire, and the cross was found charred, he said.

A lighter found at the scene is being checked for fingerprints, Spangler said. There are no suspects at this time and the case is still under investigation.

None of the crosses were marked with names, and a new cross was put in the burned cross’ place at the memorial site, Spangler said.

Bishop Gary Wollersheim of the Northern Illinois Synod understands the strong emotions that come with the grief process.

“While we wish that the cross in front of the Lutheran Campus Ministry had not been destroyed, we understand the pain,” he said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the DeKalb Police Department at 815–748-8400.

Michael Van Der Harst, campus editor, contributed to this story.

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