Thieves brazenly swipe Kansas woman’s 500-pound safe filled with antique treasures

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A Missouri woman is offering a $5,000 reward for the return of her safe that was stolen from her garage, despite an alarm system and cameras. Amanda Bushong says she realizes it’s a long shot, but it’s packed with priceless artifacts connected to American history.

“That was the furthest thing from my mind, that somebody would come in and steal a 500-pound safe that’s in your garage,” Bushong said. “It was hidden in the garage.”

However, that’s precisely what happened at 3:30 a.m. Thursday at Bushong’s home off Vivion Road in the Northland, Missouri.

A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured images of men in a white SUV who picked the lock on Bushong’s husband’s car and then opened the garage door with the garage remote that was inside the car.

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“They picked the lock to it, open the garage, and like I said, waited to see if anyone came out and nobody did,” Bushong said. “Our lovely basset hound, who hears everything, did not hear anything that night, obviously.”

Amanda Bushong realizes it’s a longshot, but she’s offering a $5,000 reward for the return of her stolen safe. It’s packed with highly valuable trinkets ranging from rare coins and stamps to a lock of hair from Alexander Hamilton.

The crooks then loaded the massive safe into the white SUV using a dolly.

“Somebody knew, somebody knew it was there,” she said.

Bushong’s parents were noted, historical collectors. Among the treasures inside the safe: highly valuable trinkets ranging from stamps to rare coins from someone who rode with American outlaw Jesse James, and authenticated locks of hair from Alexander Hamilton and Jefferson Davis.

“Right now, they’re estimating over $100,000 for each of (the locks of hair),” Bushong said.

Bushong is certain whoever swiped her valuables knew the safe was tucked inside her garage. She’s just hoping that someone who knows something will do the right thing.

“You don’t have to leave a name or anything (for the $5,000 reward),” she said. “But you can definitely call the Gladstone Police Department, and they are very much aware of this as well.”