OBSERVER Photo by Amanda Dedie From right to left, David Matteson’s sister-in-law Cynthia, nephew Chad, brother Gary and mother Marcia passed away after a tragic car accident in 1982. Thirty-five years later, Matteson has found that the portraits of Chad and Cynthia have been stolen off the family cemetery stone.

Visiting a cemetery to see family members that died well before their time is emotional enough — until someone had to add insult to injury by stealing the affixed photos of two of those family members off their headstones.

David Matteson of Fredonia was visiting the Matteson plot in Fredonia two weeks after the anniversary of their deaths. On May 7, 1982, a drunk driver killed his mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew, along with two other people in the car in Westfield. When he approached the plot, he found that the photos on his sister-in-law, Cindy, and his nephew, Chad, had been stolen.

According to Matteson, when he got a hold of the cemetery’s caretaker, he was told that the photos had still been there as of May 8. Since there are no security cameras at the cemetery, however, it will be hard to pin down who took the pictures, and when –But Matteson is offering a $500 reward for anyone who can come forward with the photos, or any information leading to the return of them.

“It’s a shame that these people were killed in some horrible accident, and some flippin’ maniac could take them. Why would you want to take them? You going to put them on your wall? …Why don’t you leave people alone?” Matteson asked tearfully.

Even worse, Matteson is the only one of the family left. His father, who used to help him upkeep the plot at the cemetery, passed away 14 years ago, meaning that this offense brings even bigger emotional turmoil to Matteson, who, reasonably, does not want to see his family’s name, honor and memory tarnished.

The Matteson family paid $350 for each photo on the headstone which, today, according to an inflation calculator provided by CNN, would be $848 each.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, either, unfortunately. Matteson reports that the first year after the accident, someone stole his brother’s photo, as well.

Matteson has called the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office as well as the District Attorney’s Office. He was also told to call the New York State Cemetery Vandalism Bureau to see if he could be helped with covering the costs of replacing the photos, but the person who referred him to that agency isn’t sure if they cover photos. It’s worth a shot, though.

It is, however, a measure that shouldn’t be necessary to begin with. ”

Bring them back. I’ll give you $500, no questions asked,” Matteson said emotionally. “I gotta have them pictures. …If anyone has any idea where they are, any kind of information, I’ll be glad to give someone $500. Just give them back.”

Anyone who may have any information about the stolen cemetery photos is urged to call the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office at 753-4232.