Artwork Stolen 25 Years Ago Recovered by Police Drug Division

WICHITA, Mo. — Troopers assigned to the Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, along with the Lamar Police Department, recovered a bronze statue that had been stolen over 25 years ago. As a result of the investigation, a Lamar resident was arrested.

The discovery and arrest occurred on August 29, 2012.

In March 1987, a bronze bust of American Poet Robert Frost created by Sculptor Walker Hancock was stolen from the campus of Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas. In June 2012, the Wichita State University Police Department received information on the possible location of the artwork in Missouri, and contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol for assistance.

Following an investigation in Missouri, troopers recovered the item and arrested Mitchel R. Potter, 44, Lamar, Missouri, at his residence, for receiving stolen property. Potter was transported to the Barton County Jail, Lamar, Missouri. Current estimates put the value of the artwork at approximately $25,000.