On March 17 we published a front-page photo and story on the theft of a valuable aboriginal mask from the hospital room of a sleeping paralyzed man.
Norman Ryall told us the mask had great sentimental value to him.
“It’s like a piece of me is missing,” he said.
The story generated significant media attention.
On March 18 Vancouver police held a news conference to say the mask was returned after a security guard at the hospital read about it in Metro and recognized it.
The security guard, Benjamin Cohnstaedt, 21, said he found the mask abandoned on a bus and took it home not knowing its value. After reading about it in Metro Vancouver and seeing photos of the mask in our paper he contacted police and returned the item to the paralyzed man.
Ryall is ecstatic. He had spent years saving to buy the mask.
Vancouver police has issued a statement thanking the media for helping solve the case.
"It was handed over to police in a red bag with a copy of Metro underneath," VPD Const. Jana McGuinness said. "All it took was four days, open and shut case."
