EXCLUSIVE: Dolly Parton's Grave 'Targeted by Thieves After Her Funeral' — Only Weeks After Country Icon's Death at 80
Woodlawn Memorial Park was struck by thieves shortly after Dolly Parton's private funeral.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton's loved ones are terrified her easily accessible final resting place could be targeted by thieves or even "grave robbers," RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
The entertainment legend died at 80 on August 25 following a brief, closely guarded battle with cancer. Parton already had a burial spot waiting for her, an above-ground crypt bearing her name at Nashville's Woodlawn Memorial Park, alongside her beloved husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025.
Grave Robbers Coule be 'Looking for Something They Could Ransack'
A private investigator explained why Parton's final resting place could attract thieves.
Reports emerged just 24 hours after Parton's small funeral on August 28, including just a handful of close loved ones, that thieves had allegedly struck at Woodlawn, swiping memorial vases from several gravesites.
"There are crazy people everywhere," renowned private investigator Jason Jensen reveals. "We know that grave robbers have done worse over the course of history, and it wouldn’t be the first time somebody tried to open a coffin – or in this case, a crypt in a mausoleum – to see if there is something they could ransack."
Jensen added: "If there was a plot to steal Elvis Presley's body, it's easy to say there is a plot to go after Dolly Parton's remains."
He was referring to the sensational alleged 1977 scheme to snatch Presley's massive 900-pound copper coffin and hold the King's body for a staggering $10million ransom, a supposed grave-robbing plot that was later exposed as a hoax.
Gave Robbers Have Not Tried Anything 'So Far'
Parton's crypt sits in a visible part of Woodlawn Memorial Park's vast mausoleum.
Parton's crypt is located inside the main mausoleum at Woodlawn, which is also the final resting place of other prominent country artists, including George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Porter Wagoner, and Johnny Paycheck.
The sprawling 205-acre cemetery is open to the public seven days a week, leaving Parton's crypt accessible to visitors despite roving security guards and a network of surveillance cameras watching over the grounds.
“They have not done anything here – so far, so good,” a Woodlawn worker revealed.
But Parton’s legacy has already been targeted by vandals. Shortly after her death, vandals defaced her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, scratching her name out of the brass emblem amid the notoriously gritty and crime-ridden streets. The damaged star was later replaced.
'Anything Belonging to Dolly Parton Could Be Worth Millions'
It's unclear if the singer was buried with any expensive jewelry.
Jensen warned that Parton's most obsessive fans could potentially go to horrifying lengths to get their hands on a piece of the country icon.
"They can break into the mausoleum and raid Dolly’s jewelry or clothes or high heels and make a shrine out of it,” he said.
And the potential payday could be staggering. "Anything belonging to Dolly Parton could be worth millions on the black market," Jensen added. "It’s unfortunate – but that’s the reality."
Dolly Parton's Final Resting Place Was Waiting For her
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Parton's crypt was already up and named after husband Carl Thomas Dean died in March 2025.
Parton made no secret of the location of her resting place during her final years on earth.
The crypt was already the 9-to-5 star's final resting place following her husband's death, with the family name "Dean" in the upper center of the couple's crypt.
On the right, the plaque bore the name "Carl Thomas," along with the dates marking his life, July 20, 1942 to March 3, 2025.
Dolly’s name was etched on the left, but at the time featured only her birthdate, "Jan. 19, 1946," as the country legend was still alive.
The touching memorial also featured intertwined wedding rings above the inscription "Married May 30, 1966," while a sweeping mountain landscape, rustic cabin, and weathered barn paid tribute to the couple’s humble Tennessee roots and nearly six-decade love story.
