Stolen gun recovered after 23 years...
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:01 pm
Was perusing the Indiana Gun Owners' forum, and saw a post about this. Thought it was interesting, don't hear of recovery often, especially after that long.
http://ingunowners.com/forums/break_roo ... later.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
7 or 8 pages of comments.
Shorter version: S&W Model 66 stolen from guy 23 years ago. Recently turned up in a pawnshop. Phoenix noticed somehow, detective tracks down original owner and calls him in Indiana (he may have been a Arizona resident years before).
Interesting part: She (detective) tells him he can either pay the pawnshop what they paid for it ($140) and get it back soon, or have a hearing where judge will decide who gets the gun -- the original owner, the pawnshop, or the guy who pawned it. (!) This hearing business is apparently a peculiarity to Arizona, or Phoenix at least.
Original owner opts for hearing (says he waited 23 years, he can wait a bit more). Turns out he can do the hearing by phone. Further conversations with the authorities in AZ reveal that most times the pawnshop and the guy who pawned the item ("pawnee?") don't show at the hearing, so he will probably win by default.
Which is what happened. He got the gun back, and it was still in good shape. Happy ending.
http://ingunowners.com/forums/break_roo ... later.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
7 or 8 pages of comments.
Shorter version: S&W Model 66 stolen from guy 23 years ago. Recently turned up in a pawnshop. Phoenix noticed somehow, detective tracks down original owner and calls him in Indiana (he may have been a Arizona resident years before).
Interesting part: She (detective) tells him he can either pay the pawnshop what they paid for it ($140) and get it back soon, or have a hearing where judge will decide who gets the gun -- the original owner, the pawnshop, or the guy who pawned it. (!) This hearing business is apparently a peculiarity to Arizona, or Phoenix at least.
Original owner opts for hearing (says he waited 23 years, he can wait a bit more). Turns out he can do the hearing by phone. Further conversations with the authorities in AZ reveal that most times the pawnshop and the guy who pawned the item ("pawnee?") don't show at the hearing, so he will probably win by default.
Which is what happened. He got the gun back, and it was still in good shape. Happy ending.