Nova Scotia mother of man whose ashes were stolen 'devastated'

The mother of a well-known Nova Scotia comedian who died nearly two years ago says having his ashes stolen is like losing her son all over again.

An urn containing the ashes of 36-year-old Andrew Vaughan was stolen from a home in Upper Rawdon, N.S., on Dec. 30.

His mother, Mary Bond, said she had left her house that morning around 9 a.m. local time and didn't return until 3 p.m. 

When she walked in the door, she found her home in disarray, with papers strewn everywhere and her television missing.

"I went back outside and called the police. I didn't realize until the second time I came in that Andrew's stuff was missing," said Bond, explaining she had handmade shelves that housed her son's ashes and some of his belongings.

"I just looked at it and I couldn't believe it…. I was devastated because it's something that I can't replace."

Vaughan died on March 18, 2020, after suffering a heart attack.

Bond said the thief or thieves ransacked her entire house — even the towels in her bathroom were flung from shelves. She said she believes they were on the hunt for something, perhaps money or weapons.

Some of Vaughan's personal possessions were also taken, including rings and watches.

Bond plans to put an ad in a local newsletter mailout called Pam's Web asking for the safe return of the urn to the RCMP — no questions asked.

"I don't care about anything else, just those ashes and the urn," said Bond. "I'm hoping they didn't destroy it. I'm hoping it gets found. I don't care if they leave it in a driveway somewhere."

She said when her son died, it was a shock to the family, given he was so young.

"We have memories of him and they're all good. Andrew was a really good man. He was good to us," said Bond.

"I was never going to bury him. I was going to keep him here until I go, and then they could do whatever they want with both of us. It's hard."

Cat serves as Bond's 'salvation'

Bond adopted Vaughan's cat Bonnie after he passed away. She said Bonnie sleeps with her every night and when she's playful, she feels like her son is nearby and playing with her.

When the break-in happened, she was worried the cat had escaped, because the door was kicked in. But Bonnie stayed in the house.

"That's my salvation now, to play with her and think of him," said Bond..

East Hants District RCMP released a statement on Monday asking for the public's help in finding the urn.

Anyone with information about the break-in or anyone who knows the location of the urn is asked to contact the East Hants District RCMP at 902-883-7077. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).