Ky. widow's home robbed while away at husband's funeral by Johnny Archer WHAS11.com Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:26 PM
Updated yesterday at 7:41 PM ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Normaline Skees just laid her husband to rest on Wednesday.
She never expected to find her home broken into after she returned from his funeral.
“I just started screaming. I mean I screamed and screamed. It thought I was losing my mind,” said Mrs. Skees. “It was like my husband passing away all over again.”
Her husband Lanny passed away on Saturday, March 17 from Leukemia.
Thieves stole about a dozen of his unique rifles, medication, hundreds of pocket knives, watches, jewelry, and coins.
They were items her husband had collected all his life.
Kentucky State Police believe the suspect might be someone the Skees know.
Mrs. Skees said the thieves “violated her husband’s memory” and took away things she was “going to give to family and friends to remember him by.”
“They have violated my safety and security that we had in this home,” said Mrs. Skees.
The Skees have lived in their Hardin County home for 10 years and never had a break-in.
Now, Normaline Skees is having an alarm system installed because she’s scared the criminals will return.
She says that won't stop her from finding her husband’s belongings.
She says it’s her “mission to find this stuff” and she will search flea markets and pawn shops and “will continue to ask people.”
“It's not like I'm going to do the investigating, but I will look for this stuff,” declared Mrs. Skees.
Police don't have any suspects yet, but Normaline Skees is offering $1,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case.
People with information are asked to call the Hardin County Crimestoppers at (800) 597-8123.