Sentencing of former Effigy Mounds Superintendent brings a bit more closure to case that spans decades

A case spanning several decades and including a more recent investigation renewed several years ago was finally brought to more of a legal close Friday, July 8 with the sentencing of a former Effigy Mounds National Monument Superintendent. Thomas Munson, age 76, of Prairie du Chien, WI served as the national monument's superintendent for more than two decades before retiring in 1994. He was sentenced July 8 in Federal District Court in Cedar Rapids for removing ancient burial remains from the national monument in 1990 and hiding them in his own garage for more than 20 years.

Munson, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor embezzlement and theft of prehistoric human skeletal remains in a plea deal reached in early January of this year, was sentenced by U.S. Chief Magistrate Jon Scoles to one year of probation, along with serving 10 consecutive weekends in jail and performing 100 hours of community service. Munson was also ordered to pay $108,905 in restitution to repair the human remains from what has been determined to be 41 individuals, along with a fine of $3,000.

The ancient remains were part of a collection of such artifacts under the protection of the Effigy Mounds facility, which was established in the late 1940s for the purpose of protecting more than 200 earthen burial mounds located in far southeast Allamakee County. The remains had been originally unearthed in the early years of the national monument's existence by archaeological scientists as part of the history of the area.

Court documents indicate that in 1990 Munson made the decision to pack away the ancient remains in an effort to keep them from being reclaimed by the Native American tribes who were originally associated with the area under the national monument's protection. Those documents indicate that Munson and an employee under his direction packed the bones in cardboard boxes and loaded them in the trunk of his car before Munson then drove them to his home in Prairie du Chien, WI and stored them in his garage.

Though not originally disclosed, continued investigation ultimately revealed that Munson believed the remains would be reclaimed by the original area tribes and lead to further claims of other historical displays that, if granted, would be detrimental to the Effigy Mounds facility under his supervision. Those claims could be made under a federal law that went into effect in November of 1990 called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which would allow for reburial of such remains according to tribal traditions.

It was explained that Munson believed that law would allow tribes to make claims that would negatively impact the monument's collection of other burial objects as well, which he saw as more valuable than the remains he packed away. Once the bones were no longer part of the Effigy Mounds collection, Munson figured tribes could not make claims on other burial objects either.

Munson ultimately retired from his position of Effigy Mounds Superintendent in May of 1994, and it was shortly after his retirement that the remains were found to be missing. Munson initially denied any knowledge of the disappearance when questioned and suggested other reasons for the missing remains. The case stalled out until current Effigy Mounds Superintendent Jim Nepstad opened a new inquiry into the missing remains in 2011, which ultimately unfolded into Munson returning one box of remains but then another box being found in his garage by federal officials in May of 2012.

In addition to his sentencing, Munson was also ordered in his January plea agreement to issue a written apology and create a video of himself reading the apology to the impacted tribes and to the National Park Service. Those witnessing Friday's sentencing proceedings said that the 76-year-old Munson appeared to show no signs of remorse for his actions and also appeared to be in declining health.

Current Effigy Mounds Superintendent Nepstad explained that the remains are currently secured at the national monument. Once restored, the remains are expected to be returned to the appropriate tribes, with Nepstad hoping that return to be completed by spring of next year.