So-called Sandy Hook "truthers" allegedly stole a sign honoring one of the 26 children and adults killed in the December 2012 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, then called the victim's mother to say that her young daughter never really existed.
Vandals apparently stole a 50-pound vinyl sign last Tuesday that was erected in a public park in Mystic, Connecticut, in dedication to 7-year-old Grace McDonnell, who died at the school.
The sign included a peace symbol that was based on a drawing composed by the child before her death, the Huffington Post reported.
Firefighter William Lavin, founder of the Where Angels Play Foundation, an organization that creates playgrounds in honor of the shooting victims, confirmed these details to TheBlaze. He said Lynn McDonnell, Grace's mother, received a phone call last week from a man who said he stole the sign.
This May 7, 2014 photo shows a gap shows where one of the brand new signs, depicting a peace sign, for the Grace McDonnell playground in Stonington, Conn., was stolen. (AP Photo/The Day, Tim Martin)
Lynn McDonnell said the man admitted to committing the crime, as he is a Sandy Hook "truther" -- an individual who believes that the shooting was a hoax, Lavin said. The person reportedly also told her that her deceased daughter never existed.
"I talked to [Lynn] a number of times and, as always, she handles it with absolute grace, she handles it in stride," Lavin told TheBlaze. "She was more concerned with us and about how we would feel about it."
He went on to say that the sign taken by truthers was one of two present at the park. While one placard consisted of a peace symbol, the other featured an image of Grace. The vandals took the first sign and left the second.
"Maybe even they as sick as they were they couldn't bring themselves to take this beautiful picture down," Lavin said of the remaining placard. "There's just a lot of ignorance and evil still out there and it's a shame."
The Where Angels Play Foundation has already ordered a replacement sign and people are continuing to call in to offer donations to the organization.
Lavin, who is preparing to construct his 22nd playground in honor of Sandy Hook victims, said that he and the group are looking for the best ways to use funds that unexpectedly came in as a result of the theft -- and they are considering erecting more peace signs to turn a negative situation into a positive.
The park had recently opened on April 27 and is one of a total of 26 playgrounds the group plans to open -- one for each victim at Sandy Hook.
TheBlaze has reported on Grace's story in the past, noting that she left behind an encouraging message that her mother found after her death: a peace sign on the bathroom window.
Police are still investigating the incident and Lavin said he hasn't heard any updates about breaks in the case.
(H/T: Huffington Post)
