Stolen from the grave: Greenstone 'could be cut up and given back to us'

The precious greenstone on the grave of Hastings seven-year-old Isachaar Smith-Craig was stolen just a week after it was fixed onto his grave. Photo / File

Grief still lingers for Teresa Smith-Craig because the precious pounamu stolen from her son's grave at Mangaroa Cemetery has still not been returned.

Her son Isachaar was the youngest of Smith-Craig's six children. Born in 2000 and he would have turned 19 on January 31.

Since the taonga was taken on the Sunday before Christmas last year, Smith-Craig said she's had multiple offers of a replacement greenstone from other families across Hawke's Bay.

"About nine or ten people have come forward with the offers, some are from their grandfather's collection, or their own personal collections, I've thanked all of them but said I'll wait for my son's one."

It was a crime the thieves were clearly prepared for as the large, rock-sized, greenstone had been bolted to the headstone of Isachaar Smith-Craig's grave at the cemetery near Hastings.

"Karma will come back on them. So I feel quite sorry for the person that's stolen it, because you can't do that, because it's Māori. Karma will come back on them really badly."

Smith-Craig said she was overwhelmed with the generosity from the community with some saying if she felt differently about the replacement, they would still provide her with one.

"I just hope if it does get returned that it's still in one piece. If someone cuts it up and make any pieces out of it and sell them, they're the ones who will have bad luck and they won't even realise.

"They could be a given to a child, a baby, it could even come back to one of my family and that's the tragic thing of it all."

The family met at Isachaar's grave on his birthday to sing to him, but the empty spot where the pounamu had once been didn't make the occasion any easier.

"We all wanted to rub it and place our hands on it, so much love went into it, when we held it, was like holding him."

Although the greenstone was taken the Sunday before Christmas, Smith-Craig said it hasn't hindered anyone from giving up the search.

"My son told me there's about 8000 seekers looking for it, he's a prison warden so even the prisoners are asking 'Sir have you got the greenstone back yet?' So a lot of people have been asking."

The matter has been reported to police.