By Brandon O’Connor

Reporter

Over $25,000 worth of scrap materials that were collected during the tearing down of four chicken houses have been stolen according to the Decatur County Sheriff’s office. Earnest King was contracted by John Reynolds to tear down four chicken houses on a piece of property that Reynolds had recently purchased.

On Monday, King reported that a variety of scrap materials that had been put aside to be sold at a later date have gone missing from the work site. According to DCSO Captain Terry Phillips, King last saw the items at the site on Nov. 7 and when he returned on Monday he noticed that they had disappeared. The missing items included two stainless steel feeding troughs that were each 500 feet long and valued at $2,7000 each, 1/4” stainless cables valued at $4,000, four propane heaters, eight fans and breakers out of the breaker boxes.

“That kind of stuff, the feeding trough they’re 500 feet long, you’ve got to cut those up and load them up on a semi or some type of large trailer,” Phillips said. “That isn’t just your average thief doing that.”

According to DCSO, local salvage yards have been contacted but no items matching the description of those that went missing have turned up.  The case is active and ongoing and Phillips asks that anyone that has a lead call him at 229-400-8008.