@Override
  public boolean removeTombstone(RegionEntry re, VersionHolder version) {
    boolean result = false;
    int destroyedVersion = version.getEntryVersion();

    synchronized (_getOwner().getSizeGuard()) { // do this sync first; see bug 51985
      synchronized (re) {
        int entryVersion = re.getVersionStamp().getEntryVersion();
        if (!re.isTombstone() || entryVersion > destroyedVersion) {
          if (logger.isTraceEnabled(LogMarker.TOMBSTONE_COUNT_VERBOSE)) {
            logger.trace(LogMarker.TOMBSTONE_COUNT_VERBOSE,
                "tombstone for {} was resurrected with v{}; destroyed version was v{}; count is {}; entryMap size is {}",
                re.getKey(), re.getVersionStamp().getEntryVersion(), destroyedVersion,
                _getOwner().getTombstoneCount(), size());
          }
        } else {
          if (logger.isTraceEnabled(LogMarker.TOMBSTONE_COUNT_VERBOSE)) {
            if (entryVersion == destroyedVersion) {
              // logging this can put tremendous pressure on the log writer in tests
              // that "wait for silence"
              logger.trace(LogMarker.TOMBSTONE_COUNT_VERBOSE,
                  "removing tombstone for {} with v{} rv{}; count is {}", re.getKey(),
                  destroyedVersion, version.getRegionVersion(),
                  (_getOwner().getTombstoneCount() - 1));
            } else {
              logger.trace(LogMarker.TOMBSTONE_COUNT_VERBOSE,
                  "removing entry (v{}) that is older than an expiring tombstone (v{} rv{}) for {}",
                  entryVersion, destroyedVersion, version.getRegionVersion(), re.getKey());
            }
          }
          try {
            re.setValue(_getOwner(), Token.REMOVED_PHASE2);
            if (getEntryMap().remove(re.getKey(), re)) {
              _getOwner().cancelExpiryTask(re);
              result = true;
              incEntryCount(-1);
              // Bug 51118: When the method is called by tombstoneGC thread, current 're' is an
              // expired tombstone. Then we detected an destroyed (due to overwritingOldTombstone()
              // returns true earlier) tombstone with bigger entry version, it's safe to delete
              // current tombstone 're' and adjust the tombstone count.
              // lruEntryDestroy(re); // tombstones are invisible to LRU
              _getOwner().incTombstoneCount(-1);
              RegionVersionVector vector = _getOwner().getVersionVector();
              if (vector != null) {
                vector.recordGCVersion(version.getMemberID(), version.getRegionVersion());
              }
            }
          } catch (RegionClearedException e) {
            // if the region has been cleared we don't need to remove the tombstone
          } catch (RegionDestroyedException e) {
            // if the region has been destroyed, the tombstone is already
            // gone. Catch an exception to avoid an error from the GC thread.
          }
        }
      }
    }
    return result;
  }
removes a tombstone that has expired locally
geode-core/src/main/java/org/apache/geode/internal/cache/AbstractRegionMap.java