In 2009, Burr Oak Cemetery in Chicago became the center of a shocking grave-robbing scandal that desecrated between 200 and 400 graves. The cemetery, final resting place of Emmett Till and blues singer Willie Dixon, was found to contain between 140,000 and 147,500 people despite space for only 130,000 graves. The scheme was uncovered when employees became increasingly reckless, using backhoes to dig up graves and smash skeletons.

The investigation took an unexpected turn when FBI agents collected tiny bits of dirt and moss buried eight inches below the surface with reburied remains. They called Field Museum botanist Matt von Konrat for help identifying the moss species and determining how long it had been buried. This analysis would provide a crucial timeline for when the remains had been disturbed.

Von Konrat's team measured chlorophyll degradation in the moss samples, comparing them to control specimens of known age. Since chlorophyll breaks down as plant cells stop functioning, this provided forensic evidence of when the moss was collected. The moss analysis, combined with skeletal remains and other evidence, helped prosecutors build their case against cemetery director Carolyn Towns, grounds foreman Keith Nicks, and two other employees involved in the desecration scheme.