From Deseret News archives:
Big breaks helped crack cases
All of the books stolen from the University of Utah's Institute of Religion and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum have now been recovered. In addition, the Department of Public Safety issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a second man involved in the museum heist.
A total of four missing copies of the Book of Mormon were coincidentally found within hours of each other Monday night and Tuesday, although investigators Tuesday afternoon did not believe the cases were connected.
Midvale police, along with their SWAT team and assistance from Murray, West Jordan and Taylorsville police, served a search warrant late Monday at a suspected drug house near 450 East and 6700 South.
Police found evidence of drugs as expected. What they weren't expecting to find was hidden in the rafters of the garage: an 1840 Nauvoo edition and an 1841 Liverpool edition of the Book or Mormon stolen last October from the U. Each book is estimated to be worth $40,000.
In addition, old copies of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper from the late 1800s were found.
Also recovered was an old stamp collection.
One man in the house was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of drug charges. Investigators were unsure Tuesday if the person arrested was the one who actually stole the rare religious books or if he obtained them for another party.
Drug dealers will typically sell anything to get money for drugs, Mason said. Why or how the person arrested came into possession of the rare artifacts was still a mystery Tuesday.
Investigators did not go through the rare newspapers Tuesday for fear of damaging them. Mason said he did not know if the papers contained stories of any religious or state historical significance.
The other big break in the cases of missing copies of the Book of Mormon came Tuesday morning when an anonymous caller at a pay phone told police the two remaining books missing from the the DUP museum would be put in a mailbox near Granger High School, said Public Safety Lt. Tony Garcia.
Investigators went to the box and found an 1837 version and an 1852 Italian version of the Book of Mormon in a manila envelope addressed to: "President Hinckley, LDS Church, Important."
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