Headlines

Thief Hides in Store, Steals $50,000+ in Jewelry After It Closes

The culprit is still at large.

Published

5 years ago

October 18, 2018

INSTORE Staff

Police say someone hid in a Kmart store in Scott Depot, WV, until after it closed and then stole between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of merchandise.

The thief or thieves left via a side door at about 2:45 a.m., WSAZ-TV reports. An alarm was tripped in the process.

Authorities are looking at surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the culprits. Store managers are examining inventory to assess exactly what was stolen.

Authorities are also looking into whether the crime might be related to the burglary of a Kmart in Charleston, WV, that occurred in August. About $56,000 worth of merchandise was taken in that incident, and police are searching for 20-year-old Jacob Hamilton, whose fingerprints were found at the scene.

The Scott Depot Kmart store is slated for closure Nov. 25.

Read more at WSAZ-TV

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”