Summary A burglar repaid the stolen money to the owner after thirty years.
HASTINGS, Mich. (AP) — A burglar expressing guilt about stealing $800 from a western Michigan store three decades ago has repaid the money, plus some interest.
The anonymous thief sent a note and $1,200 in $100 bills to the Barry County sheriff s department in Hastings, and they arrived Monday, WOOD-TV reported (http://bit.ly/WzFNjS ).
The writer admitted breaking into the Middle Mart on Michigan 37 in Thornapple Township north of Middleville about 30 years ago.
In a letter packed with emotion and spelling errors, the writer asks for "help in locating a man" to whom the writer owes the money.
"Anyways, I did a very bad thing that I am shamed of and have lived with this guilt," the writer said. "I can t begin to say how sorry iam but have lived with this guilt too long," the letter went on to say. "If you do find him, please tell him that I was afoolish stupid man when I did that and iam sorrie."
The letter was unsigned and had no return address.
The $1,200, while it includes some interest, falls short of making up for the loss in the dollar s purchasing power over the intervening years. The stolen $800 would be worth about $1,800 today, based on changes in the consumer price index.
WOOD-TV said the former owner of the store, now called Greg s Get-N-Go, confirmed it was broken into in the 1980s. The store was sold in 1988.
Undersheriff Bob Baker said the letter and cash came as quite a surprise.
"This doesn t happen every day," Baker said. He said the department isn t interested in reopening the case because of the time that has passed.
