Thieves Take Fallen Hero's Belongings From Mother's Home

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Wednesday afternoon burglary from a Villa Rica home. Among the items stolen, a mother’s most prized-possessions:  The class ring and pendent awards belonging to her a son, who was killed in a vehicle roll-over while serving his second tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Jeff Richards says the victimized family and authorities are urging the return of these precious and most sentimental items. “The victim’s son is Sgt. Michael Hardegree who was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and is laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery,” says Richards. “Burglary victims often lose items that are of very little monetary value but the sentimental value is far beyond any dollar figure. In this case, to lose your child fighting for our country, then to lose some of the few things of remembrance, can only add to the suffering of a parent.”

Richards says authorities are asking pawnshop owners to be on-the-look-out for the stolen items. “One concern is that if someone can’t sell the items because of the publicity or the watches put on at pawnshops… how they’ll dispose of it,” says Richards. “In this case, we would hope that those responsible will find some kind of criminal compassion… and return those items, even anonymously, if that’s the only way we can get these back.”