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Crime

You’ll Never Believe How This 300-Year-Old Bible Was Found After Burglars Ran off With It in 2011

Feb. 5, 2013 12:52pm Billy Hallowell

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (TheBlaze/AP) — A central Ohio man’s heart sank when he realized that burglars had broken in and stolen a safe holding his most prized possession — a 300-year-old family Bible that was printed in 1706.

The Lutheran Bible, written in German Gothic script and containing the handwritten dates of births, deaths and marriages for seven generations of Tim Shier’s family, went missing in the burglary in Marysville, near Columbus, in December 2011. But more than one year later, the holy book is back in Shier’s hands.

Thanks to a bit of luck, a sharp-eyed family member, local deputies and Goodwill — which had ended up with the Bible and then sold it online — the heirloom has been recovered.

He called it an answer to his prayers.

“Our family can’t put a price on that Bible,” Shier told The Columbus Dispatch for a story Tuesday. “History can never be replaced.”

Tim Shiers 300 Year Old Bible Was Stolen and Found Using Ancestry.com

Tim Shier poses with his recovered Bible (Photo Credit: The Columbus Dispatch)

The effort started with the arrest of four men in the burglary. A judge offered to give one of the defendants a break if he could find the Bible. But the man came up empty, saying that he thought it had been dropped in some kind of bin.

But, alas, technology came to the rescue, helping to solve the bizarre case. A few weeks ago, one of Shier’s cousins saw a reference to an old German Bible on the website ancestry.com. She called Shier, who called the sheriff’s office in Union County where he lives.

Sheriff’s detectives enlisted the help of Goodwill, which had sold the Bible online, and tracked it to Louisiana and then to Georgia. But the couple who had bought it wouldn’t send it back without recouping the $405 they had paid for it.

The sheriff’s office doesn’t buy back stolen goods. So the Union County police union stepped up and covered the cost.

“This was no stolen television,” said detective Mike Justice, who worked on the case and is president of the Union County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 171. “It’s a family heirloom, and we believed it was important to get it back.”

On Saturday night, the treasured book was carried down the aisle and presented to Shier during the police lodge’s annual benefit concert at a high school auditorium.

Shier’s family ended up donating enough money to repay the police union.

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Comments (56)

LightOfReason
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 2:25pm
Way back when we had a Chevrolet Suburban (when they were the most stolen vehicles in America) and it had one of my Grandmothers hand made quilts in the back when the Suburban was stolen.
We didn’t really care much about loosing the Suburban (never found it) we just wanted the quilt back.
Somethings are irreplaceable; in today’s society we tend to forget that.

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Sigurd_the_Crusader
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 12:25pm
Stealing a bible? Wow, sounds like a one way ticket to the lake of fire if you ask me.

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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 12:57pm
  I thought of sneaking into The Passion of The Christ once.
  
  I was confounded
  
  Report this comment
GodGunsandFreedom
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 2:48am
If I found out that I purchased a Bible through any means and my local police come to the door asking for it to be returned to the rightful owners. I would ask if they are sure that it was stolen, then I would hand it to them. Next go and talk to the owner of wherever I purchased it and explain is there a way you could check for stolen goods before selling certain items.

Maybe I am missing the point here. What has happened to our society, not just the younger generation but the 35+ generation from doing the right, honorable thing. No reason to sue the company that sold it. No reason to get paid back, do the right, honorable thing and you are promised to receive a hundredfold return.

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- americansfightingforcommonsense
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:16am
  Thank you for your post. I agree, I personally, would have just given it back and then had a discussion with whomever I had bought it from. If I recovered my money great, but at least I would know that the right thing was done as far as the victim.
  
  Report this comment
- navydoc2008
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:48pm
  I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I’m heartless but shouldn’t the Salvation Army reimburse the buyers?
  
  Report this comment
punyhuman
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 1:30am
Onikaze, when you trot out your “just remember that HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING like” line, are you suggesting that perhaps maybe just maybe there is a darker force at work here, that perhaps maybe just maybe there really is a devil responsible for the injustices and wickedness we all see in this world?
Or are you just as well trained as most and assume there is no devil, and only god does things, good and bad, thereby giving the devil a pass, and giving all blame to god? That’s really it, isn’t it. Like a deflection, turn them away from what may be the truth, let them see dark…

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New.World.Fastfood.Order
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:21pm
Isn’t that a Luther Bible not a Lutheran Bible?

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emissary5
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 7:28pm
Glad they got it back. A side note, however, Blaze: please stop using middle-school adjectives in your reporting. In fact, just stop using adjectives, period. Many of your headlines and stories read like the National Enquirer. Why would I not “believe” this story? It’s not far-fetched. The Bible wasn’t returned 500 miles through the wilderness by the family’s golden retriever after he fought off the thieves.
Just one more thing- “alas” indicates something BAD: “But, alas, technology came to the rescue”. What is your editing process? Consider this an application to make you look sharper.

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- KKE3
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 7:48pm
  I second this comment – more maturity on the editorial staff please
  
  Report this comment
- sURFNmADNESS
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:21pm
  Actually, it is a headline like a local nightly news would choose in order to get people to stick with them over a commercial break. If I wanted to read a story grab line liberalized, I can pull up CN$.com and get my fill. But wait, this story is about a Bible. Seems CN#.com does not even have the story anywhere on their site. Keep up the good work theblaze.com. Seems everyone else missed this one. LOL.
  
  Report this comment
- lawjunkie
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 12:37pm
  Definitely agree with Emissary5 on this one. I like a lot of the Blaze articles, but the headlines are often ridiculus and sometimes misleading. It is easier to link to an interesting article if it doesn’t like it’s headline is taken from a supermarket rag.
  
  Report this comment
- nomark
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:32pm
  I agree and it’s one of the reasons I have almost stopped reading this site. Beck is a hyperbolic cartoon, I get that. But I thought The Blaze was going to be more of a respected news site. While I like the coverage, you are right, they write headlines like late night infomercials.
  
  Report this comment
JeffersonsPen
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:52pm
Goodwill is a For-profit organization……………………don’t be fooled peasants!

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- Walkabout
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 5:55pm
  I got to wonder.
  
  You get a “family ” bible & sell it without questions asked?
  
  It would be too easy to find out the owners by looking in the bible & calling them!
  
  Report this comment
Inform
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:47pm
“Shier’s family ended up donating enough money to repay the police union.”

Isn’t that a little circular? You require money to return the bible… but then donate the money back to the police union after forcing them to pay you?

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- termyt
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 3:39pm
  The family that owned the Bible originally paid the union back. Not the family in possession of stolen goods.
  
  Which brings me to my question – since when is recompense required for those who buy stolen goods, even in good faith?
  
  Report this comment
- Melika
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 8:54pm
  Yeah, in a sane world, the stolen property would have been confiscated by the local police and returned to the original owners. The people who bought the Bible would have sued Goodwill for their money since Goodwill sold stolen goods.
  I’m thinking the reason why it was simply purchased from the buyers is because of state lines. Since the buyers were refusing to part with the item, the victims would have had to mount a costly legal battle, which they would have probably won. Then they would have had to retrieve the item, probably involving more legal costs. It was cheaper and more expeditious to simply purchase the Bible. However, if it were me, I would then sue Goodwill for the costs of the purchase, since they are responsible for selling the stolen goods in the first place.
  
  Report this comment
Inform
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:46pm
There’s some serious irony in stealing a bible.

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- spirited
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 4:30pm
  Good point.
  
  ;^>What a happy (ending) story !
  
  Report this comment
NoMoMrNiceGuy
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:44pm
They wanted their 405 $ ? WTH – Last I heard possession of stolen property is a CRIME !

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tharpdevenport
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:35pm
Goodwill should have showed a little … good will, and refund the peope who bought the stolen goods, rather than the police having to pony up.

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DZ-015
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:30pm
The Bible was easily identifiable by virtue of the family history it contained, so the thieves did not wish to risk selling it. Putting it in the Goodwill bin worked out far better than better than burning it or tossing it into a dumpster would have. Glad the owner got it back.

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Mainer forever
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:28pm
Glad to see they got thier Bible back.

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lfoa
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:58pm
So if you buy stolen goods online, you’re allowed to keep them even after they’ve been found to be stolen? Thoughts?

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- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:15pm
  Good will should return the money they got from the sale of stolen goods.
  
  And since I doubt Goodwill bought the bible, they more than likely just found it in one of their donation bins, they have no real monetary loss.
  
  Report this comment
- DZ-015
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:22pm
  The Bible could have been recovered from the purchaser, who then could have gone against the party who sold it (perhaps Goodwill). It was probably far easier and certainly quicker to repay the purchaser’s cost rather than go through a lengthy legal process, possibly involving a charity, which would have had to eat the loss. It turned out to be the right call.
  
  Report this comment
- Save.The.Republic
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:39pm
  Yup, that was my thought too. If it is known to be stolen property, I though the protocol was “hand it over” or be arrested. Since when does someone need to be compensated for their purchase of stolen property (whether they knew it to be so or not)?
  
  If I buy a new Cadillac for $1000, will someone “compensate” me when it turns out to be stolen? No, somehow I think I’d end up in jail instead. I can understand that in this case the buyer would have no reason to believe it was stolen (unlike my car analogy). But after the purchaser was informed that it had been stolen, couldn’t the police just seize it (or if they refused then arrest them for possession of stolen property – and then seized it!).
  That part just doesn’t make any sense!
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:38pm
Oh my God! ENCINOM will demand it’s immediate destruction by burning. After all, within it God does not like Gays.
Idiot can’t figure out that even though God was not exactly happy with homosexuality, he did teach to love the sinner and hate the sin. We are all after all sinners.

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:31pm
Thieves stealing bibles? Hmm. Much like Obama taking an oath to uphold the Constitution. MMMmmm MMMmmm MMm… barak HUSSEIN obama!

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DollyRR
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:22pm
The crooks stole the safe that the bible was in, they probably thought they were getting, money, jewelry or hand guns and the joke was on them, they got a Bible!

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kunman
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:22pm
God works in mysterious ways…

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- The_Doors_Of_Perception
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:08pm
  Yeah he sure does…the time it took you to type and post that a child somwhere in the world died in agony. But he has time to return a bible…your line of thinking is sick.
  
  Report this comment
- Lawrence7
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:16pm
  and you challenging God in anger is foolish.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Doors_Of_Perception
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:22pm
  I don’t believe in god. So, the only thing I’m challenging is your ability to reason.
  
  Report this comment
- OniKaze
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:23pm
  Remember this (as most religious people like to ignore this fact), if you think God is responsible for everything, just remember that HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING like:
  
  1. Giving Aids to Babies
  2. Allowing Murderers and Tyrants to run rampant over the innocent.
  3. Allows “natural disasters” to level entire settlements ruining people lives (assuming they survive the disaster)
  4. Sickness
  5. Incurable Diseases
  6. Death
  7. etc……
  
  If he is responsible for all of the good things, he should also be on the hook for ALL the bad things as well…
  
  My conclusion as an agnostic is simple… God DOES NOT hold responsibility for anything besides our creation and nature, from there on out, its ALL MAN!!
  
  Report this comment
- a true texan
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 3:45pm
  When a country doesn’t turn to God he removes his hand of protection from them. They are serving others gods (satan) and therefore He no longer answers their cries. I’ve seen African villages in dire straights-not necessarily starving but pretty bad-turn to God and worship him and and drastic changes take place in that village. I’ve missioned in a village that was caught up in sacrifices and ancestral worship who turned to God, donated the land where they held the sacrifices to build a church who now are building a 2nd church and have received a full time doctor and nurse. When the locals knew we were going into this village they begged us not to because it was such an evil place. Things have changed drastically in this village and I can’t wait to go back in a few months.
  
  Report this comment
- Liberty-Mom
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 6:58pm
  @Doors…God’s love is shown through people when they choose to live like Him…but evil is also shown through people when they choose to reject Him. Children are not abused because God allows it. Children are abused because people reject God and choose evil in their life. God mourns for those children who are the victims as He mourns for His children who have chosen to shut their eyes and their heart to Him. The darkness they live in is merely the absence of His light in their life. I am sorry that you too seem to be wounded and have chosen to reject the unconditional love of Christ and the grace that He gives. It’s not too late…until you close your eyes for the final time. I hope you don’t wait that long.
  
  Report this comment
- KingCoal59
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:17pm
  dear doors you and i are not meant to understand God and his reasons that is why we call it faith
  
  Report this comment
BrutalTruth
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:21pm
The people who had this wouldn’t gladly give it back after learning of it’s origin? How sad for those people.

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- trustintheconstitution
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:35pm
  Well you know in todays society its all about me, me, me
  
  Report this comment
- geomann
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 3:06pm
  They must not have read it while it was in their possession…
  
  Report this comment
Locked
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:16pm
Besides the incorrect use of “alas,” this was a nice, heart-warming story with a happy ending for the victims involved. I think The Blaze needs more of these!

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- rsb
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 5:15pm
  ‘Besides the incorrect use of “alas,” ‘, don’t you have anything better to do than nitpick over an article describing the good fortune of a family recovering a family heirloom Bible?
  
  Report this comment
- Locked
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 7:06pm
  @RSM
  
  “‘Besides the incorrect use of “alas,” ‘, don’t you have anything better to do than nitpick over an article describing the good fortune of a family recovering a family heirloom Bible?”
  
  Obviously. Did you miss where I said “this was a nice, heart-warming story with a happy ending for the victims involved. I think The Blaze needs more of these!” Oh wait – of course you did.
  
  Shoo troll. Come back when you have something constructive to add.
  
  Report this comment
Locked
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:14pm
“But, alas, technology came to the rescue, helping to solve the bizarre case.”

… “Alas”? Why is it a sad or regretful thing that technology helped solve the case?

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Bearfoot
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:14pm
I have family Bibles dating back to the 1800′s. It would be devastating to have them lost or stolen. They are full of notes and information from my relatives and they are priceless.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:13pm
That was a very nice gesture by the Union Co. FOP. Couldn’t they threaten the people in Georgia with receiving stolen property?

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CatB
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:07pm
Shouldn’t in the end the THIEVES have to make restitution .. I think they should get a estimate on the REAL value of the bible (priceless) and make these idiots pay the family for the rest of their lives. So sick of all these thugs who don’t respect property …

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mcsledge
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:03pm
The Bible helped to develop society into what it HAD become. I emphasize HAD because we hit our peak while following its teachings and have now started our downward spiral of degeneracy thanks in great part to godlessness, immorality, hypocracy, disrespect, irreverance, etc.

Anyone with a brain knows that America was a far better place 30 years ago. We have commenced our descent like civilizations of old. We have failed to read history, so we will repeat it.

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- scook84
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 1:49pm
  It’s not that we failed to read it.. We just ignored it.. The rest is history..
  
  Report this comment
- SimpleTruths
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 2:18pm
  MCSLEDGE – You stated that anyone knows that we had a better society 30 years ago. I was alive 30 years ago and people said the same thing them, and the people 30 years before that said the same thing them, so on and so forth. We always romanticize the past, it makes us feel better but it is never true.
  
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- by faith
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:21am
  It’s not that we failed to read it..
  
  True statement. There are 35,000+ “Christian denominations” in 238 countries
  All reading differnt “translations” of the same Bible
  
  All believing their interpretation is right and all those other people are wrong
  
  If only there was a better plan to spread the Gospel.
  
  Report this comment

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