Elderly couple robbed on 59th anniversary
COOS BAY, Ore.-- An elderly couple visiting Salem to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary returned home two days later to find their home torn apart by thieves.
Seymour and Betty Glassman noticed something was wrong the minute they walked in the door.
"I came into the kitchen and it was a whole mess," Seymour said. "I said something's wrong here. My wife never leaves the kitchen like this. It's always been perfect."
And Seymour was right.
While in Salem for a simple overnight trip that included a doctor's appointment and anniversary celebration, theives went room by room and had their way with the couple's belongings.
"Police looked around and told us, the theives had been here a while," Seymour said.
"I walked in the bathroom, and sitting in the toilet was their unflushed urine and they even left some all over the floor," Betty said. "Later we'd open the fridge and find out that they had drank a bottle of wine that was given to us for our anniversary that we were saving to celebrate."
But a bottle of wine is a minor thing compared to what was taken in the house.
Jewlery, electronics, family heirlooms and memorbilia that is only sentimental in value was all taken from the home.
Some items taken from the house that were large were dumped in a neighbors yard, including Seymour's stamp collection that he has been adding to most of his 84-year-old life.
"My stamp collection, you idiots, you just take anything and just completely destory it," he said so upset his hands were shaking as he showed the two books that had been recoverd but were visibly damaged. "And you don't even know if it has value, but you take it and then you dump it."
Seymour held up his wife's tattered and now empty jewlery box. Thieves ripped the sides off it just in case anything was being hidden for extra safety.
"Someone gave it to her as a gift on her 16th birthday," Seymour said about his wife's bracelet that was stolen. "These people should be shot, not arrested."
Betty said the thieves also stole her sense of comfort and safety in her home.
"A very erie feeling about it, you know," Betty said. "I come in this house. I look around. I've never done that before. I love my little house. I do, and I feel like a presence that I can't explain... like a ghost."
Betty said she hopes the items stolen can be recovered so she can pass them on to her children and grandchildren as they were passed on to her.
"If you have any humility. If you have any conscience. Please return these precious things to us. They're very dear," Betty said.
The couple is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of their items, and another reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people who took their items.
The following is a list of items stolen from the Glassman home:
- Toshiba Satelitte M50 and M55- Turquiose in color
- Mac desktop computer
- Bose white radio/CD player
- Gold cuff links with the initials LG
- Hamilton ladies gold watch and diamond band with an inscription to Betty on it
- 24 karat Gold pendent
- 2 gold wedding bands (both 14 karat)
- Opal ring 10-12 opals
- 15 year Mercy Hospital San Diego service pen
- 1 1/3 karat engagment ring from Tiffany's
- 14 karat gold Hamilton ladies watch
- 24 karat Gold pendant with Chinese markings
- Large 18 karat Gold infinity band
- Plantinum wedding band with the inscription 5 years too much
- 14 karat Gold South Sea Pearl
- Seiko watch hospital gift
- 3 Gold Stars of David (1 woman; 2 mens)
- Italian coin bracelet with broken clasp
- Rooster pin with seeded pearls
- Indian jewlery: fetesh necklace, medicone bead, bracelet with 6 Turquiose stones, silver bracelet with Coral and Turqoise
- Picutre Rock Pin on Silver
- Silverware set
- Gold pocket watch
Seymour and Betty Glassman noticed something was wrong the minute they walked in the door.
"I came into the kitchen and it was a whole mess," Seymour said. "I said something's wrong here. My wife never leaves the kitchen like this. It's always been perfect."
And Seymour was right.
While in Salem for a simple overnight trip that included a doctor's appointment and anniversary celebration, theives went room by room and had their way with the couple's belongings.
"Police looked around and told us, the theives had been here a while," Seymour said.
"I walked in the bathroom, and sitting in the toilet was their unflushed urine and they even left some all over the floor," Betty said. "Later we'd open the fridge and find out that they had drank a bottle of wine that was given to us for our anniversary that we were saving to celebrate."
But a bottle of wine is a minor thing compared to what was taken in the house.
Jewlery, electronics, family heirlooms and memorbilia that is only sentimental in value was all taken from the home.
Some items taken from the house that were large were dumped in a neighbors yard, including Seymour's stamp collection that he has been adding to most of his 84-year-old life.
"My stamp collection, you idiots, you just take anything and just completely destory it," he said so upset his hands were shaking as he showed the two books that had been recoverd but were visibly damaged. "And you don't even know if it has value, but you take it and then you dump it."
Seymour held up his wife's tattered and now empty jewlery box. Thieves ripped the sides off it just in case anything was being hidden for extra safety.
"Someone gave it to her as a gift on her 16th birthday," Seymour said about his wife's bracelet that was stolen. "These people should be shot, not arrested."
Betty said the thieves also stole her sense of comfort and safety in her home.
"A very erie feeling about it, you know," Betty said. "I come in this house. I look around. I've never done that before. I love my little house. I do, and I feel like a presence that I can't explain... like a ghost."
Betty said she hopes the items stolen can be recovered so she can pass them on to her children and grandchildren as they were passed on to her.
"If you have any humility. If you have any conscience. Please return these precious things to us. They're very dear," Betty said.
The couple is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of their items, and another reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people who took their items.
The following is a list of items stolen from the Glassman home:
- Toshiba Satelitte M50 and M55- Turquiose in color
- Mac desktop computer
- Bose white radio/CD player
- Gold cuff links with the initials LG
- Hamilton ladies gold watch and diamond band with an inscription to Betty on it
- 24 karat Gold pendent
- 2 gold wedding bands (both 14 karat)
- Opal ring 10-12 opals
- 15 year Mercy Hospital San Diego service pen
- 1 1/3 karat engagment ring from Tiffany's
- 14 karat gold Hamilton ladies watch
- 24 karat Gold pendant with Chinese markings
- Large 18 karat Gold infinity band
- Plantinum wedding band with the inscription 5 years too much
- 14 karat Gold South Sea Pearl
- Seiko watch hospital gift
- 3 Gold Stars of David (1 woman; 2 mens)
- Italian coin bracelet with broken clasp
- Rooster pin with seeded pearls
- Indian jewlery: fetesh necklace, medicone bead, bracelet with 6 Turquiose stones, silver bracelet with Coral and Turqoise
- Picutre Rock Pin on Silver
- Silverware set
- Gold pocket watch
First of all, they were not ROBBED. They were burglarized, and stolen from. Secondly, whoever wrote this needs to learn how to use spell-check, and learn some grammar. This is awful reporting, of some awful events that happened to what appear to be good people. At least do them the courtesy of writing a completely legible news article on it!
I'm hoping that their list of items makes it that much easier for their stuff to be found. Keep an eye on craigslist also!
Odds are that whoever committed this crime has previous involvement with the failed criminal justice system. When they catch them, they should go back to see when, who, how, and why he, she, or they were released. If they were released because of space problems (phony excuse) or because they were not sentenced correctly, or some other reason lacking good judgement and common sense, then the releasing party should be responsible for all damages suffered by this couple. If no one is held responsible for their actions, there is no deterent. Why is that so hard for some of these people to understand.
 @souptonuts Somehow the courts need to set up a meth court.  It would be safe to assume this is a meth related home invasion. As it stands know addicts do a wee little time behind bars and come back out the same addicted individual.  Meth does turn a good person into the devil. It is a topic folks do not want to talk about. Realtors sure can not sell houses if they bring up home invasions in the area. Parents would rather talk about there kid in college, not the one that got led astray. Things like this used to happen in "bad neighborhoods".  They happen all over know.  Hope folks recover there belongings and the scum get caught. Body blows with a baseball bat by the couple would let off some steam. Stories like this should get updated so the public knows the pulse or lack of the criminal justice system.
I have to agree with the guy.... they ought to be shot not arrested....
They weren't robbed- their house was burglarized.
This is so sad. I feel really bad for them. I hope if anyone knows anything they will come forward and turn in whoever did this. My heart goes out to them. This is wrong is so many ways.Â
OMG. These people got robbed blind. I really hope they catch these thieves. It kinda sounds like the robbers knew they were going to be out of town and had time to ransack the whole place, even use the bathroom and make snacks. Wow. I hope the cops can get some dna out of the urine in or around the toilet and run it through the system to see if it matches anyone. I hope for the best in this couple getting justice.