Delaware County Couple Reunited With Jewelry Stolen During Burglary 33 Years Ago
PROSPECT PARK, Pa. (CBS) -- A family had their stolen jewelry returned 33 years later. And it wasn't exactly a detective who cracked the case.
On Friday, a local couple was surprised to find a Prospect Park police officer knocking on their door in reference to a burglary. But it wasn't one in progress but one that happened at their home in 1987.
Mary Kay Cunningham is the secretary at the Prospect Park Police Department in Delaware County.
"She's fantastic, she kind of runs the place like the department mom," Detective Sgt. Henry O'Neill said.
She's also tasked with disposing of old case files based on their age and status.
But one, in particular, had a little extra weight to it.
"This case folder has been sitting in the files since 1987," O'Neill said.
It was a residential burglary case from 33 years ago.
A suspect broke into a home and stole jewelry. He was arrested after hiding out in the basement and was later prosecuted. No one was injured.
At the bottom of the file was the stolen jewelry. It had been stored for evidence and slipped the minds of detectives and its rightful owners all this time.
And with that, the jewelry was returned back to the home where it was taken from.
The family declined an interview but did let Eyewitness News take a few shots of what was returned.
They said it really wasn't worth a whole lot, but seeing it all brought back some happy memories of when it was bought and worn.
"They've been here a long time and it's nice to see their expression when you return their stuff. It's a good feeling," O'Neill said.
The couple says they are very thankful to the department and that they don't blame them one bit for forgetting about the jewelry, because they hadn't either.
One other interesting thing: That burglar also stole a piece of bologna in 1987 that thankfully was never returned.
