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Grandson accused of stealing antiques from dead woman's home

Published November 13th, 2006 | 0 Comments

SURGOINSVILLE - Three men accused of stealing $15,970 worth of antique furniture and other belongings from a deceased Surgoinsville woman's residence, including the woman's grandson, were arraigned Monday in Hawkins County Sessions Court on charges including aggravated burglary and theft over $10,000.

The antique furniture was reported missing from the residence of the late Margaret Christian, 208 Center Ave., Surgoinsville, on Nov. 6 by the executor of her estate, her son Elbert Christian Jr.

Surgoinsville Police Department Officer Scott Fink said he interviewed Elbert Christian, who suspected that the burglary might have been committed by a relative. Fink said it was just by chance that the next relative he interviewed, Christopher Todd Christian, 34, 2114 Main St., Surgoinsville, admitted to taking the furniture with two accomplices.

Fink said he then went to speak to the two alleged accomplices, Mike Thomas Head, 54, and Ronald Keith Nunley, 48, both of 114 Henderson St., Surgoinsville, at their home and found the majority of the stolen antique furniture there.

Head and Nunley told Fink that Christopher Christian had given them the furniture. But there were two flaws in that story, Fink said.

First, the property was in the custody of the executor, Elbert Christian, who was supposed to sell the furniture and divide the proceeds among the late Mrs. Christian's heirs, five siblings. The grandson had no right or permission to take the property, Fink said.

Fink said the second flaw with in their story was the fact that Head and Nunley admitted to entering the residence twice, once with Christopher Christian on Oct. 29 and once without Christopher Christian on Nov. 1.

On one of those occasions, the back door of the residence was apparently forced open with a blunt instrument near the lock area, Fink said.

"Their story didn't sound right to me," Fink said. "How often is somebody going to come up and offer you $15,970 worth of antique furniture for free? And even if they believed that was the case, they forced their way into the residence."

Fink said he conferred with Assistant Attorney General Alex Pearson before placing the charges. He added that all 79 items of furniture that had been taken were recovered.

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