Gun found in Lake Lemon identified as stolenBy Marcela Creps 331-4375 |
mcreps@heraldt.comA gun found earlier this year at the bottom of a lake has been identified as a weapon stolen in 2002.
The gun was found Jan. 11 at Lake Lemon. Monroe County Sheriff’s Detective Brad Swain said a citizen saw a suspicious item in the lake when water levels fell earlier this year. Swain said the muzzle of the gun was visible from the top of a metal Meow Mix box. Inside the box, encased in some type of epoxy was the gun and clip.
The gun was sent to the Indiana State Police lab which had to carefully remove the epoxy in order to remove the gun. The lab found a serial number which Swain was able to trace to a gun reported stolen in 2002 in Lawrence, Ind.
Police said the epoxy used to conceal the gun made it difficult for the lab to identify the weapon. It was also difficult for the lab to attempt to fire the gun which is done to see if it can be tied to any other crime.
Swain said a juvenile was convicted of stealing the gun. He said court records indicate the teenager stated the gun had been melted down. Now that it has been found, police believe the thieves probably disposed of it in the lake and thought it would never be found.
