Stolen Urn, Ashes Returned

An urn containing the ashes of a Pomfret woman’s husband has been returned, after being stolen back in April.

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department says the swimming dolphin urn was in a bag on the woman’s front porch Thursday morning when she went outside to walk her dogs. The urn was intact, with only a small chip on the bottom and a few scratches on the side.

An ID specialist has been called in to check for DNA and fingerprints.

The sheriff’s office says they used a media blitz asking for the public assistance, hoping it would put pressure on the burglar to return the urn. They believe the person didn’t know it was an urn, and thought it was a piece of art. They say they believe the person returned it because he was either afraid to display it as art, or “his conscience got to him.” At any rate, they say they are “happy that the victim has recovered her husband’s ashes.”

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