Posted in Utah
September 26, 2016
The Ghost Of A Grave Robber Roams The Shores Of The Great Salt Lake
It was hard enough to be a pioneer settler in the Salt Lake Valley in the late 1800s…imagine burying a family member, only to find that a grave robber had dug him up and stolen his clothing! The grave robber who was convicted of this crime was sentenced to live on an island in the Great Salt Lake. What happened next is a mystery.
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On January 17, 1862, a young man named Moroni Clawson was killed in a standoff with law enforcement. None of his family or friends stepped forward to claim the body.

A week later, family stepped forward to claim the body and it was exhumed to be moved to the family's cemetery. They were shocked to find that the body was naked - the burial clothing had been stolen.


Inside the jail, the inmates were also horrified and angry. It was quickly evident that the prisoner would not be safe inside the jail.

He was moved to Fremont Island a few days later, because it was determined that Baptiste could potentially wade to shore, due to the low levels of the Great Salt Lake.

Soon, people began reporting sightings of a man wandering the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake. Many believe that Baptiste drowned during his escape attempt.

Some still believe that the ghost of grave robber John Baptiste haunts the shoreline, and have claimed to see him on nights when the moon is full, wandering around as if looking for redemption.
Ready for some more Utah ghost stories? Meet These 11 Ghosts From Utah And Hear Their Bone-Chilling Stories.