Several bottles recovered from the old Walla Walla City Dump and 10 items from a Washington State Penitentiary exhibit were stolen in a burglary of the Fort Walla Walla Museum, according to police and museum officials.
Walla Walla Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Nick Loudermilk confirmed that the museum was burglarized on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
James Payne, the museum's executive director, said it is possible additional items were taken from the area containing the bottles from the old dump.
The burglar did not make off with all the bottles.
“A number of these bottles were dropped on museum grounds,” Payne said.
None of the items stolen from the prison display were recovered.
“The penitentiary items included two crude prisoner-made pistols, a 1920s Billy Club that held a gas canister, handcuffs with a body chain, leg shackles, two padlocks and three large jail cell keys,” Payne said. “The gallery in Exhibit Hall 5 will remain closed until repairs are made.”
Payne said an investigation revealed a lock may have malfunctioned.
“Unlike the recent robbery at The Louvre in Paris, this may have been an opportunistic break-in,” he said. “It seems that metal contraction in the door lock prevented the latch from engaging. Someone probably jumped over the fence and found this door could be opened. The Museum has an extensive security system which was upgraded several years ago. This simply may have been bad luck.”
Payne said he hopes evidence at the crime scene will help police catch the burglar and recover the items.
“We believe good fingerprints were left on the scene and security video may provide some leads," Payne said. “Museum staff are investigating ways to further enhance security but (we) will need to find funding for any additional work.”
Loudermilk said no suspects have been identified and the investigation is ongoing.
Payne called the break-in a crime against the whole community.
“Artifacts help us share stories about our history,” he said. “Stealing from a museum is stealing from an entire community. Fort Walla Walla Museum’s core service area covers a 60-mle radius. If these items are not recovered, everybody in this area has lost a bit of their past."
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