INDIAN LAND, S.C. — An Indian Land family is searching for answers after a father’s urn and ashes were stolen from his home.
Thomas Barfield passed away at the age of 71 on Dec. 11, his daughter Stephanie Barfield told WCNC Charlotte. The family held a service to honor his life on Dec. 18 and later, left a small memorial on his bed with his urn at the center of it.
Stephanie said her brother went by to check on their father’s house on Dec. 21, and then she returned on Dec. 27.
When Stephanie arrived on Dec. 27, she realized once she walked in the house that something was not right.
“I looked over and the TV was missing, so I immediately called my brother. I was like, ‘Well maybe he took it,’” Stephanie said. “And then I realized the microwave oven was gone, and the backdoor had been kicked in.”
Stephanie said she then called 911 to alert authorities of the burglary.
According to the incident report from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the home was burglarized sometime between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27. Several items were taken from the home, including two TVs, small kitchen appliances, a sound bar, jackets, and hats.
Stephanie said whoever came in the home also helped themselves to half a bottle of wine and made off with toilet paper, paper towels, her dad’s deodorant, his pillow, and memento that said, “World’s Greatest Dad.”
But the only item the family cares about seeing returned is their father’s urn and ashes that were taken from his bedroom.
“It’s hard enough to mourn the loss of a parent,” Stephanie said. “But then to have someone do something so cruel has been really difficult on our family.”
The family has been sharing posters with their dad’s picture, offering a reward of $1,000 to the person who returns his urn and remains with proof that it is truly him. Any information that leads to the arrest of the person(s) involved may lead to a reward of up to $500.
WCNC Charlotte is not sharing a picture of the urn, per the family’s request, to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
“Hopefully someone will have a conscience at some point and have the guts to turn in what was taken as far as the urn and the ashes,” Stephanie said. “The rest of it we don’t care about. It’s him we care about.”
If you have any information about this incident or where the urn or ashes could be, contact the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803- 283-3388.
Contact Kendall Morris at kmorris2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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