Jean Baptiste (grave robber)

This article is about the disappeared 19th-century criminal. Not to be confused with musician Jon Batiste.

Jean Baptiste was a grave robber in 19th-century Utah whose disappearance has been the subject of local legend. His activities were uncovered in 1862 after it was discovered that the body of Moroni Clawson, an outlaw, had been stripped of its burial clothes. Baptiste was banished to Fremont Island in the Great Salt Lake, and his fate after exile remains unknown.

Jean Baptiste
Born	c. 1813 Venice, Italy (speculative)
Disappeared	1862 (aged 49) Fremont Island, Utah, U.S.
Status	Disappeared; fate unknown
Other names	Grave Robber of Salt Lake City
Occupation	Gravedigger

Biography

Jean Baptiste’s early life is largely unknown. The 1860 U.S. census lists him as born in 1813. Some sources suggest he was from Venice, Italy and spoke little English, though these details remain speculative. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-1850s and settled in Salt Lake City by 1859, where he worked as a gravedigger.

Before moving to the United States, Baptiste had emigrated to Australia during the gold rush in the early 1850s. It was in 1854 at Castlemaine, Victoria, that Baptiste encountered the LDS Church and soon after converted. Baptiste donated property to the church, building a chapel that was used by missionaries in the area.

In 1862, after outlaw Moroni Clawson was killed by law enforcement, no one claimed his body, so police officer Henry Heath personally paid for Clawson's burial clothes and witnessed his interment. Suspicion arose when Clawson's body was exhumed by his brother George and found to be naked, leading Heath to investigate. George Clawson accused Heath of burying his brother without proper clothing, but Heath assured him that he had personally purchased burial clothes for Moroni Clawson. Frustrated by the accusations, Heath sought the advice of Probate Judge Elias Smith, who instructed him to investigate further.

Heath, along with others, including cemetery sexton J.C. Little, went to Baptiste’s home, where they discovered boxes filled with burial robes and other stolen items. Baptiste, who had been a gravedigger for several years, was accused of the thefts. Initially denying the charges, Baptiste eventually confessed after Heath confronted him directly.

The investigation revealed that Baptiste had been robbing graves for at least three and a half years, primarily targeting the graves of women and children. Some reports estimate that he may have robbed over 300 graves during this period. Items found in his home included approximately 60 pairs of children’s shoes, a dozen pairs of men’s shoes, and various garments, including funeral shrouds and infant clothing. Baptiste admitted to robbing graves not only in Utah but also during his time in Australia.

Exile and disappearance

Public reaction to Baptiste's crimes was strong. Brigham Young, president of the LDS Church, spoke to the public, expressing his disapproval of Baptiste’s actions and addressing the community’s concerns. Young assured the public that the bodies of their loved ones would rise in the resurrection with all their glory intact, regardless of the thefts. He advised against disturbing the graves further and suggested that families could take the bodies of their loved ones home if they wished, though he emphasized that it was not necessary.

Due to the public outcry and concerns about mob violence, city officials decided against executing Baptiste and instead chose to banish him. Initially, Baptiste was secretly taken by night across the Antelope Bar to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, but concerns about the shallow waters enabling him to escape led to his relocation to the more remote Fremont Island.

Three weeks after his exile, cattle herders who came to the island to survey their animals discovered that a heifer had been killed and its hide tanned for leather. The roof and sides of a cabin had been dismantled, presumably to construct a raft. Despite extensive searches, Baptiste was never seen again, leading to speculation about his fate.

The mystery of Baptiste's fate deepened when, in March 1893, hunters found a skeleton with an iron clamp around its leg near the mouth of the Jordan River. An article in the Salt Lake Tribune speculated that the skeleton belonged to Baptiste. However, police officers Henry Heath and Albert Dewey confirmed that Baptiste had not been shackled when he was exiled, casting doubt on the theory that the skeleton was his.

Legacy and folklore

Baptiste's story has become a part of Utah folklore over the years, with varying tales about his final fate. His crimes, trial, and disappearance have made him a figure of legend. Some accounts even suggest that Baptiste’s spirit wanders the southern shores of the Great Salt Lake.

The 2011 film Redemption: For Robbing the Dead, directed by Brigham Young University professor Tom Russell, tells the story of Jean Baptiste, focusing on his crimes and the consequences that followed. The film explores themes of punishment and redemption while depicting Baptiste's relationship with Henry Heath, the lawman who arrested him. Although the film is based on historical events, it includes fictional elements, such as Baptiste being branded and tattooed before his exile. The film was produced with a crew of BYU students and was released in local theaters on October 16, 2011.

See also

• Utah folklore