$100K worth of stolen guitars found, returned to owner

The return of $100,000 worth of guitars was probably music to the ears for one Cherokee County man. But for investigators in two counties, the song won’t end until those responsible for the theft are found.

After a long weekend away, family members returned home Monday to find their home had been burglarized, according to a police report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. From the looks of the home, the thieves tried to make off with many things, police said.

But the main thing missing? A collection of antique guitars worth as much as some homes.

Two days later and almost 20 miles south, Marietta police officers stumbled upon a pile of guitar cases and amplifiers and then the instruments about 100 yards off Merritt Road, near a wooded area, according to Officer David Baldwin. Officers checked, but there were no reports of missing guitars nearby, Baldwin said.

And although no one’s name was written on any cases, the guitars all carried ID of their own: a serial number.

By calling the company that made some of the guitars, detectives were able to identify the owner. Sure enough, the guitars all belonged to a Cherokee County man and were the same ones reported missing. All of the equipment was returned. (We aren’t publishing the victims’ names. But no, insert-your-favorite-famous-guitarist-here does not live in Cherokee County).

Makes you wonder though why the instruments were abandoned. Did the serial numbers prevent the bad guys (or gals) from re-selling the stolen guitars?