Stolen Gwinnett Church Bell Is Recovered

Members of received welcome news Tuesday. Less than a , the bell has been recovered.

Monday afternoon, trustee and deacon Wayne Stancel got a call from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

"They said they thought they had our bell," Stancel said. The deputy asked for a description of the stolen item. According to Stancel, once he described it, the deputy said, "I've got your bell."

Forty minutes later, the deputy delivered the bell to Stancel.

"It changed hands three times this past week but two people actually bought it legitimately," Stancel said. The last person who bought it saw a news report and realized the bell he had purchased might have been stolen. 

"He called the police department and they came out and returned it to us and we're tickled to death to get it back," Stancel said.

Before the bell is put back on display, the church intends to contact a welder to create more secure brackets for the bell.

"It wasn't easily removed this time," Stancel said. "But, we're going to make it very hard to remove next time."

The theft remains under investigation.