Illinois cemetery declared a crime scene, access cut

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) - A Cook County cemetery where hundreds of graves were dug up and allegedly resold has been declared a crime scene, meaning that relatives of people believed buried there will not be allowed to visit for several days, an official said Friday.

Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said the scope of the investigation has broadened. "A large portion of grave sites are completely missing," he said, adding that he had received more than 5,000 telephone inquiries and 1,700 e-mails about the matter since the investigation began.

As many as half of the complaints were about missing headstones, 25 to 30 percent were about loved ones who had been relocated, he said.