Home burglarized while I was camping

That really stinks. I would also be a little skeptical based on the timing. Not that I'm trying to say your relatives are involved, but the timing is just very suspicious. I worked a case very similar where the relative was living in the home and left for a few hours while some friends broke in giving the relative an alibi. Fortunately, the relative was dumb enough to keep some of the property.

I always advocate doing a complete annual inventory of all valuables and keeping it off-site. I do pictures along with recorded model/serial numbers. Fortunately, I've never had to use it, but I've got it just in case. It also helps with planning insurance because many people have a lot more in contents than they may realize if it came down to replacing all of them in the event of a total loss. The first time we did ours, we quickly realized we were under-insured.

Simply Safe- look it up!

Check pawn shops, eBay and Craig's List. If there's no picture but it's description sounds similar, inquire about it. Ask where they got it. Most likely you'll get some song and dance about gramma dying or something but if it's very distinctive you might be able to trip them up. I feel your pain. It's a horrible feeling of being violated that may take some time to overcome.

2oldman wrote:

rjxj wrote:
.. too often it is someone close to you who is involved. Maybe not your house guest but someone who knows them.

Loose lips. Perhaps house guest told someone he was housesitting.

Or mentioned it on Facebook!

Sorry to hear this, but yes ... regardless of your feelings, you can't trust family either.

Several years ago (like 1965), my Dad's brother robbed my Dad's television shop. Was it proven? No, but suspicions all led to the brother. Then about a week later, he was shot 6 times and left for dead in Southern Indiana. He didn't die, and lived to be about 80 plus years old. However, after the event, he left Indiana and didn't return until around 2005. He never had anything to do with his family after that shooting and everyone thought he was the victim of the robbery and a deal that went really bad.

You just never know about family. you just never know.

#@** happens to all of us! So sorry for your troubles. ALL replaceable like you said except some sentimental items, but again, just items, you have the memories tho and won't lose those :)
I hope you get some resolution and maybe some things back? you never know...

2oldman wrote:

rjxj wrote:
.. too often it is someone close to you who is involved. Maybe not your house guest but someone who knows them.

Loose lips. Perhaps house guest told someone he was housesitting.

Yep. People have been broken into after talking on farcebook about being gone. I tell my kids to move guns tv's etc after dark and be very quick about it. I wanted to get an aluminum jon boat but the crack heads steal them for scrap value. I'll keep the plastic one that I have now. Our boat ramp area was constantly vandalized. I rebuilt the info board and replaced the plexiglass etc. I added a paper sign in the display about neighbor hood watch and that the area is under video surveillance. It hasn't been bothered in about 8 years.

I have caught the neighbor on the other side of me on video while gone for the winter. I now have it fenced and gated and caught her on camera on the opposite side on the neighbors property who had the shovel. She must have realized there were cameras because she walked up to the fence and stood looking at the house camera while the trail cam up on the light pole was recording her. Wife suspects her in plant theft too but didn't catch her in the act.

Aint nothing sacred anymore. They say people dont talk to their neighbors anymore.....it's because they will case you. We often look around while we travel for where we might move next but I just cringe at who we will end up next to.

Op
Just throwing stuff out there so something or anything we say may help you in the future. I have used trail cams in bird houses, under boats, up in tree branches etc. If you use cameras be quiet about it and dont let anyone see you placing it or retrieving the data card. That's how you get maximum results for your money. ;)

Wow, OP, I am so sorry!

Sorry for your loss, two words: Security System. Mine calls me if anything changes in our home.

Hopefully it wasn't houseguest but they left for only one hour someone knew where everything was so f they got all that is an hour