Grave Robbing Case: One of Two CT Suspects Avoids Charges

Bridgeport, CT - One of the two Connecticut men accused of stealing skeletal remains from a Worcester, MA cemetery has avoided charges.

Prosecutors will not pursue a case against 41-year-old Felix Delgado of Bridgeport because bones found in his residence do not match those he was accused of stealing from the Hope Cemetery in February, reports the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Forensic anthropologists from both Massachusetts and Connecticut were called in to study the remains and made the determination.

Delgado and another suspect, Amador Medina of Hartford, were both allegedly found in possession of human bones, and they told authorities that they are priests who practice Santeria, a religion that mixes elements of African and Christian faiths. The bones in their possession were part of religious programs, they said.

However, the use of human bones is not considered part of Santeria, reports the Telegram & Gazette, according to theology experts. The publication added that Palo, a similar religion from Africa, has been known to use human remains.

While Delgado has avoided charges, Medina has not, and the case remains under investigation.

Medina has been indicted on five felony counts of disinterment of a body and remains incarcerated, writes the Telegram & Gazette. He is back in court in Worcester later this month.

Additionally, Delgado remains in custody on unrelated narcotics charges from 2005, and a separate court warrant from 2015 in Springfield.

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