Utah man gets stolen gun back after 37 years

[Midwest]

Utah man gets stolen gun back after 37 years

Salt Lake City man gets his shotgun back after it was stolen 37 years ago from his truck. It was found at Sporting Goods Store in Oregon after they traced the serial number and found out it was stolen.


http://news.yahoo.com/utah-man-gets-stolen-gun-back-37-years-200133137.html


"Property crimes are notoriously difficult for police, who often have little evidence to start an investigation, Van Scoy said. If investigators do find stolen items, it usually happens soon after the crime_Pittenger's shotgun is the oldest recovered property case the detective could recall.

Though stolen items do turn up when police catch a thief, without a serial number it's hard to connect it back to an owner and officers often end up selling unclaimed items at auction."
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[splithoof]

Ya gots to be careful when you buy a used gun…..

 

[Lucky Derby]

Very cool.

 

[bannockburn]

Nice story. Good gun karma.

 

[19-3Ben]

Not great closeups of the gun, but it looks to be in really nice condition for its age!

I was always under the impression that stolen guns tended to get traded around among unsavory types who treated guns in unsavory ways, ruining finishes, and whatnot. Glad to see that this seems to be an exception.

Heck, guns that hang out in gun racks in trucks get all sorts of banged up. The thief may have actually done this guy a favor! I bet the gun would not look that good if the owner had kept it in his truck for the last 37 years!

 

[Tinpig]

Great story.
And a lot of credit goes to the Salt Lake City detective who made every effort to return the stolen gun to its rightful owner, 37 years later. The good things police do are often overlooked in the new national pastime of police-bashing.

Tinpig

 

[Panzerschwein]

Nice! I bet that made his day!

 

[threefeathers]

Sometimes good things happen.

 

[damienph]

Good to hear that the shotgun was returned to it's owner. I had a S&W422 6" target model stolen during a home burglary in 1990. The local PD still calls me occasionally to see if it has been recovered. So maybe if it ever gets traded or sold to an FFL, I may get it back some day. I still have the spare magazine and the blue box and paperwork for it if it ever does find it's way home.