Chaplin grave robbers give no hint of motive

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 8

Chaplin grave robbers give no hint of motive

■ NZPA-Reuter Corsier-sur-Vevy (Switzerland) , Thieves who stole Charlie Chaplin’s body from its village grave in Corsier-sur-jVevey in Switzerland have ; left the film comedian's fam--1 ily and the police bewildered i Both the family and the jpolice said they had received Ino message from the grave robbers and had no idea of the motive for the theft, on Thursday. “We are just wondering why this should happen to a man who has given so much to the world?” A family spokesman said. A police official said: “We don’t know whether this is a macabre kidnapping or the work of madmen.” Chaplin, the bowler-hatted, baggy-trousered film star who was considered one of the great comic geniuses of this century, died at his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey last December 25 at the age of 88.

The man who dug his grave, Etienne Buenzod, found it empty when he arrived for work at 2 p.m. i He said the grave had !been visited almost daily by Lady Oona Chaplin, widow of Sir Charles, as the comedian became after he was knighted.