Brothers sent behind bars in Burr Oak Cemetery desecration case

Two brothers convicted of desecrating human remains at the historic Burr Oak Cemetery were put behind bars Friday for what a Cook County judge described as “reprehensible” behavior.

Although Keith and Terrence Nicks did not physically hurt a living human being, they caused undue emotional stress to those who buried their loved ones at the Alsip cemetery, Judge Joan Margaret O’Brien said.

Keith and Terrence Nicks spoke briefly before they were sentenced, respectively, to six and three years in prison, but fell short of taking responsibility for their actions at the resting place of many notable African-Americans, including Emmett Till.

“Neither of you have any insight of the enormity of what you did and the pain you caused,” O’Brien said, stressing that every bone the men unearthed and discarded belonged to a person who was loved.

Two separate juries in February found the brothers guilty of participating in a scheme to illegally “double stack” graves and dig out skeletal fragments from their burial sites, trash them and resell the plots to unsuspecting families.

Keith Nicks, 51, apologized to those who were affected but maintained his innocence, saying that his work as the grounds foreman centered on improving Burr Oak’s “atmosphere” and “reputation.”

“That is not what happened,” the married father of three said, referring to the testimony presented against him.

“I have been honest from day one. We were raised with morals.”

Terrence Nicks told the judge that he is a helpful person who has never hurt anyone.

The 45-year-old urged O’Brien for a lenient sentence, so he could still be “productive in this world and still be a helpmate to those who need help.”

Although O’Brien’s sentence was more severe than the probation the men’s attorneys sought, it was significantly less than the 12-year prison sentence Assistant State’s Attorney Nick Trutenko asked for.

O’Brien said she took into consideration that the men had no serious run-ins with the law prior to the 2009 investigation that led to their arrests.

Terrence Nicks may have played a lesser role in the crimes and sometimes refused his brother’s demands to move bones from their resting spots.

But the dump-truck driver still forged ahead with the wrongdoing, O’Brien noted.

The judge also said she believes Keith Nicks still thinks he did nothing wrong.

O’Brien told the Nicks brothers they “disgraced” and brought “shame” to their families and “shattered” the community’s trust.

“I believe you have hurt society as a whole,” O’Brien said in her Bridgeview courtroom.

“These crimes shocked the conscience of all of our communities and demonstrated the cruel lengths that people will resort to for financial gain,” State’s Attorney Alvarez said in a written statement.

“We hope that these sentences will bring some measure of justice to the families of the loved ones who were so violated and betrayed by these heinous acts at Burr Oak Cemetery.”

Former Burr Oak cemetery manager Carolyn Towns, 55, is serving a 12-year sentence for her role in the gruesome plot.

Backhoe operator Maurice Dailey, 65, is awaiting trial.