Man who stole urn containing baby’s ashes sentenced to 15 years 

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has announced that a Harvey man accused of burglarizing an Elmhurst residence where he stole, among other things, an urn containing the ashes of the victims’ child, has been sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. 

Glenn Addison, 68, appeared at a sentencing hearing this morning in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, who handed down the sentence. Addison entered a plea of guilty to one count of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony, on Aug. 18. Due to Addison’s criminal history however, he was eligible for Class X sentencing.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the Elmhurst Police Department received a call regarding a residential burglary on Melrose Street. When speaking to officers, the victims reported that a coin collection and an urn containing the ashes of their infant son were missing. Officers immediately began an investigation into the burglary.

Through the course of that investigation Elmhurst police officers were able to gather sufficient information to charge Addison, who was at the time on parole for a 2014 burglary. On Dec. 17, 2019, Addison was arrested and taken into custody without incident from his home in Harvey. He appeared in Bond Court the following day where bond was set at $750,000. He has remained in custody since that time at the DuPage County Jail. 

At the bond hearing, Judge Jeffrey MacKay signed an order immediately releasing the urn containing the baby’s ashes back to the family.

“Mr. Addison’s criminal behavior has once again landed him behind bars as he now finds himself looking at a 15-year sentence,” Berlin said. “The fact that Mr. Addison stole an urn containing the ashes of a deceased infant, which offered absolutely no monetary value to him, demonstrates the utter callousness of his actions and his complete disregard for the sanctity of human life.

“Thanks to the outstanding work of the Elmhurst Police Department, the victims in this case will not only receive justice for the crime committed against them, they are once again in possession of their infant son’s ashes, which if lost, could never be replaced.”

Addison will be required to serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He will receive credit for time served thus far.