The case against a suspect accused of theft of a cemetery’s funds was dismissed last week.
Wayne Superior Court 2 Judge Gregory Horn signed an order dismissing cause against Dustin L. Taylor of Cambridge City, on Wednesday, March 18.
Wayne County’s prosecutor’s office had filed a motion to dismiss March 17, and Horn granted that request. No information was available in public court records to explain the reason for the request. The motion to dismiss was restricted from public view in those computerized records.
Dustin Taylor, 46, was scheduled to have a pretrial conference on March 26 and a trial on May 11.
However, a pretrial diversion agreement filed Sept. 15, 2025, shows Taylor agreed to pay an initial restitution of $5,000 when entering into the diversion plus five monthly payments of $200, for a total of $6,000, along with $334 in court costs and filing fees. He also agreed to provide complete and truthful testimony regarding the role of any co-defendant or related trial in this matter.
Court records show $6,000 was paid on March 17 and court costs were paid Feb. 18.
Indiana State Police investigated a report of theft of funds from Lutheran Cemetery Foundation of Pershing, Indiana, Inc., and a judge found probable cause for both Dustin and his wife, Trisha C. Taylor, to be arrested in March 2023. Both Taylors had served on the cemetery’s board of directors.
Dustin Taylor was accused of a Level 5 theft of property worth more than $50,000, and a Level 6 felony of theft of property between $750 and $50,000.
Trisha Taylor agreed to plead guilty earlier in March in Horn’s court to a Level 6 theft charge. She is to pay $7,400 in restitution as a condition of probation in lieu of jail time.
A version of this article appeared in the March 25 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.