Jody Ewing

Iowa Author

Copper Thieves

Inside Edition

INSIDE EDITION

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COPPER THEFT

Airdate: 5/14/2008

 

Doug Thelander and his family are victims of one of the fastest growing crimes in the country…copper theft. Thieves stole several feet of copper pipes from a house owned by his dad, but in the process they cut the gas line, leaving dangerous propane gas leaking into the basement.

When his father Earl returned to his house outside Sioux City, Iowa, he plugged in a fan. The next instant, the gas ignited into a fireball.

“There’d just been a flash. Just…it engulfed him,” Thelander tells INSIDE EDITION.

Earl Thelander survived an agonizing four days.

In tears, his daughter Cindy says, “After four days, we decided we didn’t want him to suffer.”

It’s a nationwide copper crime wave. From plumbing pipes to the wires that carry electricity and phone service to your house, if it’s made of copper and thieves can get to it, they will.

One perpetrator was caught on surveillance camera stealing the copper cables inside a cellular phone tower in Texas. Another brazen thief used a fork lift to steal tons of copper wire from an electrical contractor. While still another used wire cutters to steal hundreds of feet of copper in Florida.

Copper theft has become so rampant in Detroit that whole neighborhoods are sometimes left without power, and a heavily armed task force goes after suspected copper crooks.

As for the Thelander family, they’re still trying to understand why their dad died, because someone wanted to steal the copper from his house.

The Thelanders are now offering a $5,000 reward to try to catch the crook responsible for their father’s death. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Monona County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-859-1414. All caller information and reward claims may be made anonymously.

In the past year at least 20 states have enacted tougher new laws to try to make it more difficult for thieves and scrap yards to profit from stolen copper.

To learn about copper theft legislation in your area, visit the National Conference of State Legislatures.

To learn more about copper theft, visit RSI Video Technologies at www.coppertheft.info.

 

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Copper Thefts on Rise in Siouxland

Sioux City Journal logo

 

September 28, 2008

Copper thefts are on the rise in Siouxland

It can have deadly consequences

By Dolly A. Butz, Journal staff writer

SIOUX CITY — Even though he had retired from the plumbing and heating business, 80-year-old Earl Thelander liked to stay busy.

On Aug. 28, 2007, he was cleaning up the basement of one of his rental properties in rural Onawa, Iowa, when an explosion occurred. Thelander, who suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body, died four days later at an Omaha burn unit.

Authorities determined that just hours before the explosion, copper thieves had cut a propane line, which ignited when Thelander plugged in a fan to vent the gas fumes.

Brandon Schoen - SCJ Photo
Brandon Schoen loads copper that will be compressed at Compressed Steel Co. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)

“I don’t think these thieves realize that they’re putting people’s lives at risk, too, with what they’re doing,” said Jody Ewing, Thelander’s stepdaughter. “It’s sad that the authorities haven’t been able to crack down on it, not just here but across the whole United States.”

A year after Thelander’s death, no arrests have been made, and theft of metals, including copper, remains steady in the state.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 220 metal thefts were reported in the state in 2007, up from 89 in 2006 and 37 in 2005. The department noted that not all metal thefts are reported. So far in 2008, there have been 76 metal thefts documented statewide.

Copper traded last week at about $3 a pound.

Thefts in Siouxland

On Sept. 14, officials say Dustin William Coates and Anthony Gene Heitman, both of Paullina, Iowa, stole a brass bell weighing nearly 500 pounds from Oakdale Evangelical Free Church in Meriden, Iowa, and sold it at a salvage yard in Lakefield, Minn., for about $530.

It was later recovered by the Jackson County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office and returned to the congregation.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Friedrickson said the theft was an isolated incident for the county but not for the area.

“We’ve actually been spared the brunt of that, and I don’t know why,” he said. “Some of the other neighboring counties have had much more than we’ve had.”

Sioux City police Lt. Marti Reilly said thefts of “precious metals” are on the rise in Sioux City.

In April, Troy Jones, 39, and Carl Binneboese, 24, stole copper tubing and wire and multiple pieces of stainless steel from a Cargill Inc. work site. The two men were charged with second-degree theft, a class D felony, after surveillance footage of the burglary was distributed to the public. Both Jones and Binneboese pleaded guilty to the charge in a plea agreement and are awaiting sentencing. The maximum sentence for second-degree theft is five years imprisonment.

A 30-pound bronze statue of a male dancer was stolen from the 500 block of Fourth Street in June. The 2008 Sculpt Siouxland project entry was thought to have been melted down for its copper value, which was estimated at about $60.

“The sooner you can report it, the faster we can get the word out so that it’s not taken out of the area and sold for scrap,” Reilly said. “Realize that if you have something that’s made out of a recyclable metal to check, to actually look at it every day.”

Over the past year, Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson said, several copper thefts have been reported on the edge of town. He said a bronze bust, copper kettles and a commercial stove were stolen.

“There’s a legitimate market for it, and there are people that get a little bit greedy and decide that they’re going to steal that copper pot or a bunch of fence posts or some aluminum steel girders that are sitting by a construction site,” Lawson said.

Lawson said he believes that most of the items were taken to salvage yards so thieves could cash in on the metal’s value.

Targets follow markets

Mike Potash of Compressed Steel Co. in Sioux City, said he sees lots of copper coming into the yard to be recycled. He said that it is impossible to tell the difference between legitimately obtained copper tubing and copper tubing that has been stolen. He said he is on the lookout for things that typically would not be brought in by the general public, including cemetery plaques and municipal castings.

When he suspects that an item might be stolen, Potash said, he informs police, asks the customer to sign a statement indicating that he or she owns it, or refuses to take it.

“We’re not interested in having stolen material in the yard,” he said. “It does us no good. It does the general public no good. And it’s bad for the scrap industry in general.”

The department of public safety reports that as the housing market has declined, opportunities for metal thefts are reduced, so law enforcement officers are seeing more variation in what is stolen — catalytic converters in SUVs; truckloads of metal, which can be transported if the tractor and trailer are stolen; and farm implements that sit out in fields or sheds.

Thieves stripped copper tubing from farm equipment in Clay County, according to Sheriff Randy Krukow. He said farmers noticed copper tubing missing from a grain dryer when they tried to turn it on. Nothing was ignited, according to Krukow.

“We just want to make people aware that if they haven’t tested something that they may have hooked up at an abandoned farm site, that they check on it,” he said.

Ewing, who maintains a Web site about Iowa cold cases, added her stepfather’s case to the list of unsolved homicides. She and her family are holding out hope that someday the thieves who took her stepfather’s life will be brought to justice.

“After a year the chances are just getting slimmer and slimmer that they’ll be caught, but we still have faith that someone will eventually come forward and do the right thing,” she said.

Protect yourself and your property

— Secure precious metals.
— Alert homeowners to the presence of strangers in their vicinity.
— Report suspicious activity to police.
— Report all thefts to police immediately.
— Routinely check machinery at farm sites, your furnace and other appliances.
— Install motion-sensitive lights and surveillance cameras at construction sites.
— Use unique markings on metal items to deter theft or assist in identifying stolen metal.
— When you are away, ask neighbors to keep an eye on your property.
Source: Local law enforcement

© Copyright 2008, Sioux City Journal

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‘Urban miners’ scrap plans to steal metals

DesMoinesRegister.com

 

‘Urban miners’ scrap plans to steal metals

By TOM ALEX
Register Staff Writer

November 19, 2008 12:53 PM

A steep drop in scrap metal prices has translated to a drop in crime, Des Moines police say.

Lt. Mark Morgan said the theft of copper, aluminum and other metals has slowed as the prices criminals get for them has gone down. Specific numbers aren’t tracked, but Harold Burns of Burns Electric in Des Moines doesn’t need statistics to know something has changed dramatically.

“Thefts truly have slowed down,” said Burns, who not long ago installed an extensive surveillance system at his business to deter thieves. “The price of scrap metal is down. Thieves want to be paid well for what they do. They don’t work cheap.”

So-called “urban miners” have enjoyed a lucrative run that started with an uptick in copper and aluminum prices in 2005. A pound of copper that fetched less than $1 per pound in 2001 was up to $3.50 by 2006. The U.S. Department of Energy put the cost of thefts from U.S. utility companies at $1 billion between 2006 and 2007.

As the prices escalated, so did raids on vacant homes and businesses where pipe and wiring were ripped out of walls. Spools of copper wire were stolen from utility trucks. Outside air conditioners were targeted. So were auto parts. Metal fences were chopped down at ballparks. Bleacher seats were stolen. Cemetery markers were taken.

The pursuit of metal even turned deadly:

– Police said Jason Knowles, 34, of Indianola was trying to cut wire from a power pole when he was electrocuted last fall on Des Moines’ south side.

– A thief who stripped copper tubing from a propane tank in western Iowa in August was blamed for a buildup of gas in a house. The explosion killed 80-year-old Earl Thelander of Onawa.

Police in other states have reported a similar anecdotal drop in scrap metal crime as prices drop. The high prices resulted from heavy demand from India and China. But as the world economy slows, so does the profit from stolen metal.

“Demand has fallen off tremendously. Copper has fallen from over $4 a pound to about $1.62 now. Aluminum is down, the same with scrap iron,” said Bruce Babcock, professor of economics at Iowa State University. “It’s not just scrap metal, it’s the price of crude oil, wheat, even fertilizer. The world economy turned on a dime about last June. Construction slowed down, the economy slowed in China. Demand for metal slowed here and seemingly the rest of the world followed.”

Creighton Cox, spokesman for the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines, said the drop-off in prices and thefts is good, if temporary, news. “I haven’t heard much about copper and scrap metal thefts lately. It’s down, but it’s still a concern,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s down because of the price, or the fact that construction normally slows down a little in the fall anyway.”

Copyright The Des Moines Register

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Earl Thelander Articles

News and Articles with references to
Earl Thelander death

 


Earl L. Thelander

 

May 9, 1927

to

September 1, 2007

 

 

Cold Case: Exploring Iowa’s unsolved murders

October 24, 2015 | Independence Bulletin Journal

This is a weekly feature highlighting some of Iowa’s unsolved homicides in the hopes that it will lead to new tips and potentially help solve cases. The project is a partnership between this newspaper and other members of the Iowa Newspaper Association.

ONAWA – Earl Thelander sustained second- and third-degree burns over 80% of his body in an August 28, 2007 explosion caused by copper thieves. The thieves had stripped propane gas lines from a country home that Earl and his wife Hope had been renovating.

Gone Cold: Earl Thelander

September 1, 2015 | Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Earl Thelander got second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body in an Aug. 28, 2007, explosion caused by copper thieves. Sometime overnight from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, thieves broke into the vacant home at 20877 Gum Ave. near Onawa, which Earl and wife Hope had been renovating, and stole copper propane and water lines, causing the house to fill with gas. Earl discovered the break-in at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 28. Read More

Gone Cold: Earl Thelander

August 24, 2015 | The Carroll Daily Times Herald

Part of the GONE COLD: EXPLORING IOWA’S UNSOLVED MURDERS series.

Earl Thelander sustained second- and third-degree burns over 80% of his body in an August 28, 2007 explosion caused by copper thieves. The thieves had stripped propane gas lines from a country home that Earl and his wife Hope had been renovating.

Gone Cold: Earl Thelander, killed in 2007

August 22, 2015 | The Des Moines Register

This is a weekly feature highlighting some of Iowa’s unsolved homicides in the hopes that it will lead to new tips and potentially help solve cases. The project is a partnership between this newspaper and other members of the Iowa Newspaper Association.

Name: Earl Thelander

Age: 80

Died: September 1, 2007

Location: Onawa

Earl Thelander sustained second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body in an Aug. 28, 2007, explosion caused by copper thieves. The thieves had stripped propane gas lines from a country home that Earl and his wife Hope had been renovating. Read More

Iowa’s cold cases: Website offers hope to victims’ families

May 31, 2012 | The Des Moines Register

The stories kept coming.

The year was 2005. Newspaper reporter Jody Ewing had finished her series on a half-dozen Sioux City-area cold case crimes for the Sioux City Journal magazine, the Weekender.

But months after the last paragraph published, emails and letters continued. Family members of victims, amateur crime historians and retired law enforcement officers wrote and called Ewing with more stories of unsolved crimes from across Iowa.

Keeping cold cases from being forgotten

May 11, 2012 | The Iowa City Press-Citizen

When Jody Ewing first began writing about Iowa’s unsolved murders, people would ask if she had a personal connection to a cold case that sparked her interest.

Until 2007, the answer was always no.

On Aug. 28 of that year, 80-year-old Earl Thelander of Onawa, Ewing’s stepfather, was cleaning the basement of an unoccupied rental property that had been gutted by copper thieves. Earlier that day, he and law enforcement officials had turned off the propane tank and aired out the house, but when he turned on a blower fan to dry out the basement, it ignited an explosion. Thelander died of severe burns four days later.

Legislature tackles scrap metal theft

March 26, 2012 | Iowa Senate Democrats

The theft of copper and other scrap metal from construction sites, homes and businesses is a national problem, including here in Iowa.

Not only are businesses and individuals being robbed, this is a serious threat to public safety. For example, thieves are entering homes and stealing copper wiring and tubing. That creates fire hazards and other serious dangers to Iowans. In Monona County, Earl Thelander died in 2007 from burns he suffered in an explosion after thieves stole copper piping from his rural Onawa property.

That’s why the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved House File 2399. The bill requires all scrap metal dealers to keep a record of their scrap metal purchases. The dealers are required to get the name, address and place of business of every person who sells them scrap metal. In addition the seller must provide some form of government-issued photo identification.

These records will be kept in a confidential log that law enforcement can use if needed in a criminal investigation.

Partnership to Combat Critical Infrastructure: Copper Theft

February 28, 2012 | SafeGuardIowa.org

A webinar focused on copper theft affecting critical infrastructure and designed for individuals interested in collaborating with public agencies and private-sector organizations to successfully investigate and prosecute copper thefts.

96 Webinar Slides — Earl Thelander case on page 42 under title:

Iowa Example: Homicide

Webinar Sponsored by:
  • Department of Justice — State of Iowa
  • Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Intelligence
  • Iowa League of Cities
  • Iowa Municipal Attorneys Association
  • Iowa Law Enforcement Intelligence Network
  • Iowa County Attorneys Association
  • MidAmerican Energy
  • Safeguard Iowa Partnership

Stealing Copper Can Be a Deadly Crime

October 21, 2011 | KCAU-TV Channel 9, Sioux City

After a rash of attempted copper thefts, authorities want people to know the dangers from stealing copper are real.

One Siouxland family has come face to face with the deadly dangers that copper thieves can leave behind.

Propane warning for LL

By RR [WA]) Posted on Aug. 31, 2011 10:54 AM

This story about Earl Thelander is a few years old, but I just read it and realized that it could happen to ANY ONE OF US.

Here’s the story:  https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/earl-thelander/

In short, copper thieves stole propane lines, house filled with propane, gas was turned off, authorities were called, the house was aired out for a couple hours, THEN:

“Earl entered the house, and, smelling no propane gas, felt it was safe for him to work. In the basement, however, he discovered water had leaked onto the floor from the cut and stolen water lines. He set up a squirrel cage blower to help expedite drying the basement floor and plugged it in. The home suddenly exploded, throwing him all the way across the room and into a basement corner.”

I probably would have done the same thing…

How could this have been prevented? How long do you need to air out a house after a major propane leak?

–76.22.104.242

COLD CASES: Death of stepfather drives woman to profile Iowa’s unsolved crimes

July 29, 2010 | WHO-TV Channel 13, Des Moines

Onawa, IA – For Jody Ewing of Onawa, near Sioux City, this is her calling. Remembering the forgotten. Profiling cold, unsolved cases throughout the state on her website iowacoldcases.org.

Iowa woman casts a wide net to catch criminals: Web site helps keep Iowa cold cases alive

The Muscatine Journal
February 12, 2010

ONAWA, Iowa – Bringing up unsolved murders can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, victims’ families hope new stories and information can cut through years of mystery and uncertainty and bring to justice the person responsible for their loved one’s murder.

‘Urban miners’ scrap plans to steal metals

The Des Moines Register
November 19, 2008

… A thief who stripped copper tubing from a propane tank in western Iowa in August was blamed for a buildup of gas in a house. The explosion killed 80-year-old Earl Thelander of Onawa.

Sioux City Journal copper theft imageCopper theft: It can have deadly consequences

The Sioux City Journal
September 28, 2008

SIOUX CITY — Even though he had retired from the plumbing and heating business, 80-year-old Earl Thelander liked to stay busy. On Aug. 28, 2007, he was cleaning up the basement of one of his rental properties in rural Onawa, Iowa, when an explosion occurred. Thelander, who suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body, died four days later at an Omaha burn unit.

Inside Edition: Copper Theft

May 14, 2008

The television newsmagazine reports on the nationwide copper theft epidemic and the death of Earl Thelander of Onawa, Iowa.

KTIV - Earl and Hope ThelanderRemembering Earl Thelander

KTIV News Channel 4, Sioux City
May 10, 2008

A year after his death, Earl Thelander’s family plants evergreen trees in his memory.

 

 

Remembering Earl Thelander

KMEG Channel 14, Sioux City
May 10, 2008

Copper Theft Killing Now a Cold Case Investigation

(Visit the Discussion Forum on this article here.)
Action 3 News, Omaha
May 8, 2008

U.S. News & World Report logoPrice Hikes Lead to Rash of Metal Thefts

U.S. News & World Report Magazine
March 27, 2008

Australia’s new crime wave

The Scone Advocate
March 6, 2008

Reward Offered in Copper Theft That Led to Deadly Explosion

WHO-TV Channel 13
January 8, 2008

Earl Thelander working at Monona HotelThelander Family Offers Reward for Information

KTIV News Channel 4, Sioux City
January 6, 2008

 

 

Family offers reward for information on explosion

Council Bluffs Nonpareil
December 22, 2007

Sioux City Journal article‘A good man died a needless, pointless death’

The Sioux City Journal
October 28, 2007

Two months after blast, search continues for those responsible

 

 

 

 

 

Man Dies After $20 Copper Theft

MSNBC
October 12, 2007

Victim’s family awaits copper thief’s arrest

Omaha World-Herald
October 12, 2007

KETV Image of Earl ThelanderMan Dies After $20 Copper Theft

KETV 7, Omaha
October 12, 2007

 

 

 

Man Dies After $20 Copper Theft: Onawa Police Seek Informants

KCCI Channel 8, Des Moines
October 12, 2007

Copper Theft Crackdown

WOWT News Channel 6, Omaha
September 25, 2007

Thieves target copper pipes, wiring

The Sioux City Journal
September 22, 2007

Copper Thieves Cause Explosion – Man Critically Injured

Williams Kherkher
September 18, 2007

Obituaries: Earl Thelander

Polk County Newspaper.com
September 14, 2007

Copper Theft Compromised Safety

WOWT Channel 6, Omaha
September 13, 2007

Monday’s Our View: Tragic turn
Our Position: Copper thieves responsible for man’s death

The Daily Nonpareil
September 10, 2007

While some may dub this incident an accident, it was far from it. Thelander died as the result of someone else’s disregard for the law, both natural and state mandated…

Man killed in blast died for ‘piece of copper piping’

The Des Moines Register
September 5, 2007

Robbery Suspects Face Enhanced Charges After Explosion

KTIV TV
September 4, 2007

Explosion victim dies of injuries

Denison Bulletin Review
September 4, 2007

KLEM News Update

KLEM 1410, Le Mars
September 4, 2007

Natural gas explosion leads to man’s death

Iowa State Daily
September 4, 2007

Explosion victim dies of injuries

The Daily Nonpareil
September 4, 2007

Onawa Explosion Victim Dies

WHO TV News Channel 13
September 3, 2007

Obituary: Earl Thelander

The Sioux City Journal
September 3, 2007

Onawa Explosion Victim Dies

MSNBC
September 3, 2007

Onawa man hurt in explosion dies in Omaha

The Sioux City Journal
September 3, 2007

Iowa Man Loses Fight for Life

WOWT News Channel 6, Omaha
September 3, 2007

Victim Of Robbery and Explosion Passes Away

KTIV TV News Channel 4
September 1, 2007

Man Recovering After House Explodes

WHO TV News Channel 13
August 31, 2007

Home explodes after thief nabs copper pipes

The Record Herald and Indianola Tribune
August 30, 2007

Victim’s Family Speaks Out About Copper Crime Explosion

KTIV TV News Channel 4
August 30, 2007

Iowa Man Burned in Explosion

WOWT News Channel 6, Omaha
August 30, 2007

Onawa man hospitalized after home explodes

The Sioux City Journal
August 30, 2007

Copper theft results in explosion, injuries

Omaha World-Herald
August 30, 2007

Home Explodes After Thief Nabs Copper Pipes

DTN Blogs
August 30, 2007

Onawa Man Injured in House Explosion: Officials Say Burglar Tried to Steal Copper Propane Line

KETV 7, Omaha
August 29, 2007

Onawa man injured in house explosion

Associated Press
August 29, 2007

Blast Victim In ‘Critical’ Condition

KTIV TV News Channel 4
August 29, 2007

Onawa man hurt in house explosion

The Sioux City Journal
August 29, 2007

Copper Theft blamed for house explosion

The Des Moines Register
August 29, 2007

House Explosion

Godlike Productions (from KCAU TV)
August 28, 2007

Explosion Damages Onawa, IA Home

KTIV TV
August 28, 2007

KTIV - Top Story imageTop Story: Rural Onawa, IA Home Explodes

KTIV TV
August 28, 2007

 

Videos

Videos and Photo Slideshows

 

An eclectic collection of slideshows and videos I either put together myself … or news reports and/or other stories involving my family, my work, or where one of us was interviewed.

You may either view the stand-alone videos directly on this page by clicking the photos, or click on the hyperlink below any photo to visit the individual page where you’ll still find the video along with any accompanying story or summary.

P.S. There’s still more to come. It just takes time to get them here.

 

Iowans Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
Slideshow compiled by Jody Ewing
Click Here for detailed information about each veteran.

 

 

A short “iMovie” trailer I made in 2012 depicting
my family’s past Christmas holidays.

 

 

Family Moments
Made for Mom and Siblings Christmas 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



KTIV-TV Channel 4 reports on the Iowa Cold Cases website
and Earl Thelander death — June 9, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Behind the scenes at Barack Obama’s “Hope, Action, Change”
live webcast — Onawa, Iowa, March 31, 2007

 

Foal electrocuted by heartless cable thieves who tested live wires on it

by 1 Comment

I’ve been keeping an ongoing report on the Iowa Cold Cases website documenting the needless destruction and deaths — all across the nation and abroad — brought about by copper thieves. I had cases from all 50 states. From Asia and Australia, Canada and China, Scotland and South Africa. And more.

I thought I’d seen it all. I was wrong.

My list of deaths is likely far from complete, but one thing has always remained constant: of the 50+ deaths already listed, only one name — Earl Thelander — falls under the category “Innocent Victims.”  Earl was my stepfather, married to my mother just shy of 25 years before dying of burns suffered in an explosion caused by copper thieves.

Burnt to death: Callous copper cable thieves cut down a pylon leaving live wires exposed before using a 6-month-old foal as a ‘tester’ to check if electricity was still moving through the line. (Courtesy photo Daily Mail)

There’s a new victim to add to the list, though I’m not quite sure how to list it. The atrocity of this particular crime falls outside the boundaries of heinous acts and anything even I could have imagined.

It happened in the UK, in Sittingbourne, Kent, where heartless copper thieves used a six-month-old foal as a “tester” to see if electricity still moved through the line they planned to cut and steal. It did, and the “horrifically burnt remains” of the foal were left in the field for its heartbroken owner — a man in his eighties — to discover the following day.

The crime not only claimed the trusting foal’s life, it also plunged 3,000 homes into complete darkness once the thieves cut down the pylon.

Day after day I read the harrowing stories: copper thieves leaving an animal welfare league, with 86 animals, without air conditioning in the July heat; copper thieves silencing 10 sirens during a tornado warning; copper thieves leaving hundreds of Verizon customers without landline, cell phone and Internet service; copper thieves causing between $250,000 and $300,000 in damage while freezing a state bridge in place; and copper thieves threatening US critical infrastructure by targeting electrical sub-stations, cellular towers, telephone land lines, railroads, water wells, construction sites, and vacant homes.

The stories are too numerous for me to include all of them on the website. And despite every new story about a copper theft death and the thief having caused his or her own death, I feel great sadness as I add yet another name to the list and think about the families left behind — families not only grieving their loved one’s death but also forced to face unsympathetic communities rife with contempt for the deceased’s offense.

Where does it stop? When will it end? When will state legislators begin to take seriously the need for strict (and enforced) scrap metal sales?

We’re waiting.