A Gun Stolen in 1994 Just Went Home. The Theft Report Was Still Waiting.

A firearm that went missing in January 1994 was handed to the owner's son recently. Somebody had filed a report, and it was still on the books.

According to WCTI 12, Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said several firearms were taken in a breaking and entering in the Ingold community in January 1994. One was a Savage .20-gauge/.22 Magnum over-and-under belonging to Morris Ezzell. It had been his father's, and the sheriff's office said it carried deep sentimental value for the family.

What the sheriff's office said happened

Per WCTI's September 24 report:

• Investigators said the gun stayed listed in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as stolen for 32 years.
• On August 25, investigators got a notification from Maryland about a firearm matching the stolen gun's description.
• The gun had been found in the closet of a recently purchased home and taken to a Maryland pawn shop for consignment.
• Investigators confirmed it was the firearm reported stolen in 1994, and the pawn shop shipped it back to Sampson County.
• Morris Ezzell asked that it go to his son, Marshall, as a surprise. Investigator Jerry Murphy made the presentation. Deputy Ed Vann, who took the original report in 1994, was there.

The story doesn't say how the match was made, what the serial number was, or how the gun ended up in that closet. We won't guess. What it does show is simple: the record was still there when the call came.

Why a 32-year-old report still mattered

According to the FBI's NCIC Gun File Quick Reference Card (July 2024), as posted by the NC State Bureau of Investigation, stolen, lost, and felony gun records do not expire. They are retained until the record is cleared, canceled, or located. In Sampson County, that meant a 1994 report was still on file in 2026 when a firearm matching the description turned up.

That's the agency side. Your side is what you handed them, and what you can still produce.

The heirloom problem

Look at what this gun was: a family piece, passed down from a father. Those are the guns least likely to have a receipt, a box, or a photo. If you own one, ask yourself what you could give an officer today:

• Make, model, and gauge or caliber
• The serial number, exactly as stamped (some older guns have it in more than one place, so check)
• Photos, overall and a serial close-up
• Anything that makes it yours: engraving, repairs, a cracked stock, who it came from
• A note on where it came from and who it went to, if it's an inherited piece

Older guns tend to get missed when people build a list. They aren't in the safe's "recent purchases" pile, and nobody remembers to write them down.

What to keep together

For each firearm, keep these in one private place you can open from another device:

If something goes missing, report it promptly and give the full serial. Police need the number to enter the theft, and insurers usually ask for the police report and proof of ownership and value. Check your local reporting rules. This is not legal advice. For the after-theft steps, see What to Do When a Firearm Is Stolen. If a gun is recovered later, matching it back is serial-number work: When Stolen Guns Come Back, Matching Them to You Takes Serials. For inherited guns, see Estate Planning for Firearms.

Printable version: Get the free claim-prep checklist.

Keep the record private. A serial list doesn't belong in a group chat, a forum post, or the background of a photo on social media.

How Arsenal Vault helps

Arsenal Vault is a private, hosted inventory for serials, photos, receipts, and values. It's one record you can open from another device and export when police or an insurer asks for it. Your data. Your control. Your vault.

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Sources

• WCTI 12, "Stolen Sampson County firearm returned to family 32 years later" (Michelle Pumphrey, Sep 24 2026)
• FBI CJIS, "National Crime Information Center Quick Reference Card: Gun File" (July 2024), as posted by the NC SBI Division of Criminal Information