SALYERSVILLE – A Lick Creek man is behind bars after police found stolen items from a deceased person’s home in his possession.
On Monday, July 12, Magoffin County Sheriff Department Deputy Jonathan Holbrook received a report of a burglary on Old Lick Creek Road at the residence of James Adams, who passed away earlier this year. According to the police report, someone stopped by to feed some dogs he keeps on the property, when he walked around the house and saw Christopher Howard, 37, of Lick Creek Road, in Salyersville, walking out of the house carrying items that belonged to Mr. Adams. Howard allegedly took off running, ultimately going up the hill and disappearing.
Holbrook located items scattered all over the property, including in the yard and on the hillside. A set of hearing aids, valued at over $8,000, which belonged to Mr. Adams, were located in the dog lot Howard had run by as he fled the scene.
During Deputy Holbrook’s investigation, he went to Howard’s home and talked to his grandfather, who told police Howard was not home, but he had left some bags there. The bags reportedly contained more items that had been stolen from James Adams’ residence.
Also, while he was conducting the investigation, Holbrook was told that another person had items stolen from him, as well.
Holbrook located the items belonging to that person, who was able to positively identify them as his stolen items, and told police that he and Howard had recently traded some items. That person produced the items he acquired from Howard and all the items were identified as stolen property from James Adams’ residence, according to the arrest warrant.
Howard reportedly admitted to Holbrook that the recovered property in his possession came from James Adams’ residence, including ammunition and firearms.
Howard was taken into custody the next day, and transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, where he remains at press time, facing the charges of first-degree burglary and receiving stolen property under $10,000.
Editor’s Note: The indictment or charge of a person by a grand jury or otherwise is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
