A sword was stolen off of the statue of Revolutionary War general William Shepard in 1980 in Westfield, Massachusetts.
For 40 years, the sword's whereabouts have remained unknown, until the thief recently came forward to confess his crime and return the stolen artifact.
Apparently, the man who stole the sword felt guilty IMMEDIATELY after the act, stating that he was remorseful the next day! He agreed to finally return the sword to the Westfield Historical Commission on the condition that he remain anonymous.
Cindy P. Gaylord, the chair of Westfield's Historical Commission, said, "He had a great deal of shame and remorse. He is a veteran and told me the fact that he did this to another soldier troubled him. He wants the story printed to remind people that something you do in your youth could haunt you for the rest of your life."
Gaylord described the gentleman as a "great big bear of a guy" who worked at a local bar at the time of the incident, and stole the sword after a night of drinking.
The stolen sword was replaced with the help of a local sculptor and paid for by an anonymous donor. The sword is likely to be preserved by a local museum.
Via NY Post
