The thieves who stole boxes from Kyle Barron’s porch last week probably thought they were taking Christmas gifts ordered from online retailers.
What they actually took was a smattering of family heirlooms — most of which have little or no value to thieves but are priceless to Barron and his wife, Ally. Following his mother’s death in Oregon on Thanksgiving, Barron shipped packages full of her belongings to his Akron home with the U.S. Postal Service. In the stolen boxes were an urn of his father’s ashes, family photographs dating back generations, antique Asian teapots and vases and a paperweight with deep sentimental value.
Barron, desperate to reclaim his family’s history, has appealed to the thieves’ holiday spirit: Return the items and he won’t ask questions, press charges or tell the police. They’ll receive his deepest gratitude and possibly even a monetary reward.
“Every day since they got stolen, I’ve been remembering things I packed in there,” said Barron, 32. “I want it all back partly just so I know it’s not in a landfill somewhere.”
If the thief or thieves opt to return his things, he asked they call him directly at 541-520-2234.
Barron said the most frustrating aspect of the ordeal is that he paid the Postal Service for its signature confirmation service — which means delivery should have been postponed until someone was home to sign for the boxes — but a delivery driver on Dec. 14 left the boxes outside instead.
In the 40 minutes from delivery to his wife’s arrival home, two of Barron’s three boxes went missing. Footsteps in the snow clued him in that they were probably stolen, and the post office’s confirmation that the packages were delivered cemented his suspicion.
He said the post office feels “invincible” in the situation.
“I’ve been in communication with the local post office and they tell me they delivered the boxes, so they’re not liable for the stolen things,” he said. “Even though I paid for the signature confirmation, they say they’re not liable.”
Contacted for comment, spokesman David Van Allen said there’s not much the Postal Service can do.
“Really all we can do is offer a refund of the shipping costs,” he said.
Van Allen said the post office is empathetic and reminded the public that mail theft is a federal crime.
He didn’t answer questions about why no signature was collected the day the packages were delivered.
“We certainly regret the service experienced by this customer,” he said, “and have reached out to him with sincere apologies for this difficult situation.”
Akron police say Barron isn’t alone in the plight of package theft.
“Citywide, we’ve had about 20 people report stolen packages,” said Lt. Rick Edwards, “but there’s been nothing like a specific localized place where it’s happening.”
Still, Barron said his case is different because of the contents of his packages.
“I keep thinking they might have a change of heart after seeing my dad’s ashes,” he said. “First thing in the morning, I walk to my door and I check if the stuff is there. It never is.”
Despite a lack of fault, he blames himself. He said he keeps revisiting the choices he made leading to his decision to ship the packages with USPS. He and his wife considered buying a heavy suitcase to bring it back on the plane, but they decided the Postal Service would be more secure for the fragile items.
“I keep replaying it all in my mind,” he said. “If only I’d made a different choice, I’d have all these things still.”
The reality of the situation, though, has left him hopeless.
“I’m usually a pretty optimistic guy, but I’m just not seeing this stuff getting back to me,” he said. “If I don’t get any of this stuff back, maybe I’ll get some sleep knowing someone out there heard this cautionary tale.”
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook @JournoNickGlunt .