Police return stolen silver flatware, giving the victim a happy start in 2013

“Near the first of December we received word from a very elderly female that she was the victim of a theft. ‘Ms. Mary’ said she just couldn’t believe someone would steal her 71 piece sterling silver flatware set, but she had searched her house high and low and couldn’t find it anywhere. She went onto say that she had used the set for a Labor Day family gathering and that was the last time she had remembered seeing it. I asked the victim if she had a possible list of suspects for me to check into, and she said that she had always been raised to not say an unkind word about anyone unless she knew for certain they were bad. I was able to assure ‘Ms. Birdy’ I had a TOP SECRET database that I could check and the only people who would know she had even mentioned a name would be her, me, and the Good Lord. ‘Ms. Birdy’ then named off about 15 people who had been in her home since Labor Day. Most folks she named were grandchildren, but a few were people she and her husband had been trying to help feed, cloth, and give shelter to during these tough economic times. I checked the names on LeadsOnline and didn’t receive any usable results. Toward the end of December, just before leaving for the New Year holiday, I decided to check on ‘Ms. Birdy’s’ case one more time, but this time doing a broader search. Wouldn’t you know it, just two days before Thanksgiving one of the men ‘Ms. Birdy’ and her husband had given shelter to, and who was also a member of their church, had sold a 71 piece sterling silver flatware set to a local precious metal dealer. Thanks Leads Online for again clearing one of my many cases and for giving ‘Ms. Birdy’ a belated Christmas and a surely better 2013!”

Det. Brian Lee
Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
Georgia