Updated

Wayne Godwin made a surprise find on the property he is renting: Gravestones from the 1800s and early 1900s that had been stolen.

Now, he is getting them back to their rightful place.

Godwin began renting a home in Cape Girardeau in December. The Southeast Missourian reported that he recently stumbled upon the old gravestones while walking the property.

One stone was a marker for young twins who died in 1863 and 1864; the other was a marker for a 15-year-old who died in 1906.

Godwin and property manager Dave Soto contacted the Cape Girardeau County Archives Center, which confirmed where both stones came from. Plans are in the works to have the stones returned to where they belong.