Couple's concrete pigs stolen; thieves demanding ransom
By JANE STEGMEIER
The (Gallatin) News Examiner

GALLATIN — Did ''the big bad wolf'' kidnap Mary and Bobby Romines' swine?
That's what police here are investigating.
On Tuesday, the Romineses received a ransom letter that was signed ''the big bad wolf.''
''They think they have me buffaloed, but now I'm mad,'' Mary Romines said of the ''pignappers.''
''They may think it's funny, but they're going to be charged with theft.''
Police Chief John Tisdale said once his department catches the kidnapper, the responsible person will be charged.
Two concrete porkers, each about 1 foot tall, were taken from the Romineses' yard sometime between June 26 and the early morning hours of June 27, according to police records.
The first ransom note demanded two ears of corn and one ripe mango, said police spokeswoman Kate Novitsky.
Mary Romines found the ransom note tacked to the front gate of their home in A and L Trailer Park. Her husband, Bobby Romines, called police.
The note requested that Mary Romines deliver the ransom at the front gate of the mobile home park.
Mary Romines just wants the pigs returned unharmed, she said.
The pig statues were taken from her front yard, around a birdbath and beneath an arch surrounded by other cement swine brethren and chickens.
The chickens were moved but not stolen.
''The other pigs were dusted with negative results,'' said a Gallatin police report.
''The (ransom) letter will be sent to T.B.I. for processing for (fingerprint) lifts,'' the report states.
One pig is presumably male, sporting blue overalls, while the other is presumably female, decked out in a pink dress.
The pigs are valued at $10 each.
On Monday, the Romineses received a cooked pork chop with a note that said, ''cooked the pig.''
Tuesday night, the ''pignappers'' left the Romineses another letter, this time attached to a bag of pork rinds asking if she was scared. The letter demanded a potato, and the note was signed from ''the big bad wolf.''
''Pigs can be replaced,'' said Mary Romines.
''It's the letters that are unnerving.''
The (Gallatin) News Examiner is part of the Middle Tennessee Community Newspapers group, a news partner with The Tennessean.

Source: Tennessean

*sob* When will the madness stop? :(

Heh, funny in a way, but sad that the pignappers have nothing better to do. I wonder if it's random, or if it's a minor vendetta of some sort.

If it was me, I'd set a couple booby traps (paint would do) or set an ambush. Obviously those guys are coming back every night.

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">Yah, sort of funny, but makes me angry at the same time. The pigs are about $10 each and the pig nappers spend more money and food (pork chop and rind) than the pigs are worth. What a waste of food.

I would find these letters unnerving as well. Could be just some neighborhood kids playing a joke but you never know. Could be a psycho as well.</font>

[ 07-08-2004, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

ROFL!! The headline Made My Day. :D :D :D

Calling the cops out over a practical joke / prank! Strewth some people need a sense of humour :rolleyes:

Prank maybe. But it's still trespassing and theft, not to mention the effect of the letters.

It's pretty mean-spirited and probably not deserved. I'd be teed-off if it was me on the receiving end. Someone comes into your yard, steals your stuff, and leaves weirdo messages? If they get away with it, maybe they move on to stealing stuff from your house or vandalizing the property.

[ 07-08-2004, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

Dude, this is hilarious. My hunch is that the 'perpetrator(s)' is someone that knows this couple quite well. This seems to be all in good fun. The prankster will get bored with it soon enough and drop the whole thing.

I hope the couple doesn't have kids who play outside...the 'pranksters' don't sound quite stable. I mean after the first note, if they'd sent the pigs back it might have been funny, but yah, stealing someone's property, no matter how much it costs, is low enough, but scaring them with freaky letters? yuk! Once was amusing, but multiple letters is kinda weird and attention seeking at best.

I can see friends teasing/pranking one another but asking if they've scared the 'victim' sounds a little more than just a good laugh.

[ 07-09-2004, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

I'd like to loan this unfortunate family some dartguns and an old Mossberg self-loader and they could go to town on these guys in a few seconds. It would be hilarious to watch...