Chris Hazelton has a love for music and passion for playing.
His 1963 Hammond B3 Organ sitting in his front living room is the only instrument he now has left.
“To have that much stuff go missing, I mean literally, a 12x12 unit full of stuff,” Hazelton said of his Storage Mart unit that was his safe spot for more than a dozen instruments.
Hazelton discovered his instruments were missing on Saturday. He hasn’t finished totaling his losses, but believes it’s more than $25,000.
"At first, it was like a panic attack, just thinking about everything that was in there,” Hazelton said. "I had a 1969 Hammond B3 organ, Hammond PR40 tongue cabinet, the speaker that goes with it, stands, cables, pedals, a guitar, a student model trumpet, a PA system, speakers and stands."
That’s not all. He’s also missing things that money can’t buy.
The thieves stole family keepsakes, professional photos taken by his wife, and wedding gifts given to the couple last fall.
Since the discovery, Hazelton has received no answers from Storage Mart or Merriam police.
He knows this theft was not an easy one to pull off.
"It would have taken probably four or five guys,” he said. “It would have taken a moving truck or several vehicles. It was a planned effort, for sure.”
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Lexi Sutter can be reached at alexandra.sutter@kshb.com.
