By . Anna Sanders . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . A Kentucky family has spoken out against the thieves who ransacked their home while they were attending their murdered son's funeral. Cindy and Dennis Higdon were already heartbroken from the tragic death of their 20-year-old son when they came home to find thieves had taken some of his keepsakes along with jewelry, guns and laptops. Police said these heartless criminals are part of a growing trend of thieves who stalk the local obituaries to discover when families won't be home, according to TODAY. Kentucky men Michael Acord, 41, and Timothy Terry, 44, are currently locked up for breaking into the Higdon's home last June while the family was in mourning. Police believe the pair found their target in the local paper's obituary of Christian Higdon, 20, who was murdered last summer. Heartless: After Christian Higdon, pictured with his son Jayden Eli, was murdered in June 2012, his parents came home to find their home had been burgled . Criminals: Michael Acord, left, and Timothy . Terry, right, are currently serving time for stealing from the Higdons' home while they were at their son's funeral . Acord and Terry were arrested after they pawned items stolen from the Higdons, according to the Kentucky State Police. Another man, James Parrett, 43, is also serving time for pawning items stolen from another Kentucky woman in who was at her husband's funeral during the crime. Police said several firearms, medication knives and at least 30 gold pocket watches were taken from Normalee Skees' home in March 2012. 'It's like, you already felt like you're at the lowest point you could be and ... it's like I just fell to the ground,' Cindy Higdon told TODAY. Christian, of Clarkson, Ky., died of blunt force trauma on an early afternoon last June, according to the Grayson County News Gazette. Police believe he was bludgeoned to death with the blunt side of a hatchet by 25-year-old Jamie Byon Columbus Wagers after an argument in Elizabethtown, Ky. Wagers pleaded not guilty to murder and his trial is set to begin this August, according to court records. In several news reports, family members said Christian struggled with drug use. He was one of five children the Higdon's have adopted and the second to die young. When she was nine, Jenna Higdon died in a car accident, they told WHASS11. He was survived by a young son. Happier times: After their son Christian, top middle, was murdered, theives targeted Dennis and Cindy Higdon, top right . Murdered: Christian Higdon, 20, left, was . murdered with a hatchet, police said. Jamie Byon Columbus Wagers, right, . is on trial for murder in August . Christian's obituary was published in a local paper, The News-Enterprise, on June 19, 2012. Listing visitation, funeral and prayer service times for the following day, police said the obituary made it easy for Acord and Terry to target the Hidgon's home. 'It is a sick feeling to think that that person sat and literally watched us go through hell,' Cindy Higdon told WHAS11. 'Stuff strewn everywhere, they went through everything we own, every cabinet, everything we own,' Dennis Higdon said. Kentucky State Police said a jewelry box, four long guns, two frills, a GPS, three laptops, an Xbox 360 Kinect, a Nintendo Wii game console and a few hundred dollars were taken from the Higdon's home. The thieves were nabbed when Acord tried to pawn an item with a serial number at Elizabethtown Dixie Jewelry and Loan. An employee, Tyler Wright, told WAVE News the serial number was entered in an internal database and he called the police. 'It makes us feel great knowing we're able to help catch the bad apples,' Wright said. When Acord and Terry were arrested, everything was returned but one laptop, according to WAVE News. Robber: James Parrett is serving time in Kentucky for stealing from a widow while she was at her husband's funeral . 'It was very rewarding to call the Higdon family and be able to tell them that we got most of their stuff back and arrested those responsible for their break-in,' Kentucky State Police Det. Ryan Johnson said in a statement. 'Many of the items stolen were sentimental to them and were reminders of their son, Christian. They were pleased to say the least.' 'It's an awesome sense of relief knowing these guys are arrested,' Dennis Higdon told WAVE News. 'Not only for ourselves, but for other who have been in the same situation.' Skees, whose home was burgled after her husband died, said: 'I am very relieved that they were caught.' During and after the investigation, police called the crime 'pathetic', describing the thieves as 'low lives'. 'It's pathetic that people have to stoop to that level. Especially when a family is in a time of mourning,' Norman Chaffins, of the Kentucky State Police told WDRB. 'Taking them and basically kicking someone while they're down. I think in both of these cases, that's exactly what they did.' Tragedy: The thieves stole some keepsakes Christian Higdon's family were using to remember their son . After the burglaries, local residents began to watch their neighbors' homes during funerals, WDRB reported. But police said the problem might be more widespread. Near Seattle, Wash., thieves broke into 10 homes while families were attending funerals, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen, according to TODAY. 'It's heinous,' said Det. Margaret Ludwig from Snohomish County, which investigated so-called 'obituary burglarers' in the area in April 2012. 'It's reprehensible.' Police are now advising grieving families to publish less personal information in obituaries or have a friend stay at the home during the funeral services. 'It's like, please, have a heart,' Cindy Higdon told TODAY. 'I mean, think about the people you're doing this to, what they're already going through.'
Kentucky residents Cindy and Dennis Higdon came home after their son's funeral to find jewelry, guns and electronics missing .
Though the thieves were apprehended, police say the robberies are part of a growing trend .
Robbers target families in mourning, reading obituaries to see when no one will be home .
'It is a sick feeling to think that that person sat and literally watched us go through hell,' said Cindy Higdon .
By . Anna Sanders . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . A Kentucky family has spoken out against the thieves who ransacked their home while they were attending their murdered son's funeral. Cindy and Dennis Higdon were already heartbroken from the tragic death of their 20-year-old son when they came home to find thieves had taken some of his keepsakes along with jewelry, guns and laptops. Police said these heartless criminals are part of a growing trend of thieves who stalk the local obituaries to discover when families won't be home, according to TODAY. Kentucky men Michael Acord, 41, and Timothy Terry, 44, are currently locked up for breaking into the Higdon's home last June while the family was in mourning. Police believe the pair found their target in the local paper's obituary of Christian Higdon, 20, who was murdered last summer. Heartless: After Christian Higdon, pictured with his son Jayden Eli, was murdered in June 2012, his parents came home to find their home had been burgled . Criminals: Michael Acord, left, and Timothy . Terry, right, are currently serving time for stealing from the Higdons' home while they were at their son's funeral . Acord and Terry were arrested after they pawned items stolen from the Higdons, according to the Kentucky State Police. Another man, James Parrett, 43, is also serving time for pawning items stolen from another Kentucky woman in who was at her husband's funeral during the crime. Police said several firearms, medication knives and at least 30 gold pocket watches were taken from Normalee Skees' home in March 2012. 'It's like, you already felt like you're at the lowest point you could be and ... it's like I just fell to the ground,' Cindy Higdon told TODAY. Christian, of Clarkson, Ky., died of blunt force trauma on an early afternoon last June, according to the Grayson County News Gazette. Police believe he was bludgeoned to death with the blunt side of a hatchet by 25-year-old Jamie Byon Columbus Wagers after an argument in Elizabethtown, Ky. Wagers pleaded not guilty to murder and his trial is set to begin this August, according to court records. In several news reports, family members said Christian struggled with drug use. He was one of five children the Higdon's have adopted and the second to die young. When she was nine, Jenna Higdon died in a car accident, they told WHASS11. He was survived by a young son. Happier times: After their son Christian, top middle, was murdered, theives targeted Dennis and Cindy Higdon, top right . Murdered: Christian Higdon, 20, left, was . murdered with a hatchet, police said. Jamie Byon Columbus Wagers, right, . is on trial for murder in August . Christian's obituary was published in a local paper, The News-Enterprise, on June 19, 2012. Listing visitation, funeral and prayer service times for the following day, police said the obituary made it easy for Acord and Terry to target the Hidgon's home. 'It is a sick feeling to think that that person sat and literally watched us go through hell,' Cindy Higdon told WHAS11. 'Stuff strewn everywhere, they went through everything we own, every cabinet, everything we own,' Dennis Higdon said. Kentucky State Police said a jewelry box, four long guns, two frills, a GPS, three laptops, an Xbox 360 Kinect, a Nintendo Wii game console and a few hundred dollars were taken from the Higdon's home. The thieves were nabbed when Acord tried to pawn an item with a serial number at Elizabethtown Dixie Jewelry and Loan. An employee, Tyler Wright, told WAVE News the serial number was entered in an internal database and he called the police. 'It makes us feel great knowing we're able to help catch the bad apples,' Wright said. When Acord and Terry were arrested, everything was returned but one laptop, according to WAVE News. Robber: James Parrett is serving time in Kentucky for stealing from a widow while she was at her husband's funeral . 'It was very rewarding to call the Higdon family and be able to tell them that we got most of their stuff back and arrested those responsible for their break-in,' Kentucky State Police Det. Ryan Johnson said in a statement. 'Many of the items stolen were sentimental to them and were reminders of their son, Christian. They were pleased to say the least.' 'It's an awesome sense of relief knowing these guys are arrested,' Dennis Higdon told WAVE News. 'Not only for ourselves, but for other who have been in the same situation.' Skees, whose home was burgled after her husband died, said: 'I am very relieved that they were caught.' During and after the investigation, police called the crime 'pathetic', describing the thieves as 'low lives'. 'It's pathetic that people have to stoop to that level. Especially when a family is in a time of mourning,' Norman Chaffins, of the Kentucky State Police told WDRB. 'Taking them and basically kicking someone while they're down. I think in both of these cases, that's exactly what they did.' Tragedy: The thieves stole some keepsakes Christian Higdon's family were using to remember their son . After the burglaries, local residents began to watch their neighbors' homes during funerals, WDRB reported. But police said the problem might be more widespread. Near Seattle, Wash., thieves broke into 10 homes while families were attending funerals, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen, according to TODAY. 'It's heinous,' said Det. Margaret Ludwig from Snohomish County, which investigated so-called 'obituary burglarers' in the area in April 2012. 'It's reprehensible.' Police are now advising grieving families to publish less personal information in obituaries or have a friend stay at the home during the funeral services. 'It's like, please, have a heart,' Cindy Higdon told TODAY. 'I mean, think about the people you're doing this to, what they're already going through.'
Cindy and Dennis Higdon were already heartbroken when they came home to find thieves had taken criminals are part of a growing trend of thieves while they were at their son's funeral . Acord target the Hidgon's home. 'It is a sick feeling to think that that person sat and literally watched us go through hell,' Cindy Higdon told