Suspect arrested in connection with artifact theft
Former Physical Plant employee apprehended in Houston

By Jaime Walker
Senior News Editor

A suspect was arrested Thursday night in connection with the theft of 112 Peruvian, pre-Columbian artifacts from the Mary Couts Burnett Library, said Kelly Ham, TCU detective of criminal investigations.

David Earl Word, 51, was charged with theft over $200,000, a first degree felony, and is being held at the Tarrant County Jail.

Photo by Tim Cox - Skiff Staff Kelly Ham, TCU detective of criminal investigations, escorts David Earl Word, 52, to a Fort Worth Police Department-issued car Thursday. Word was arrested in connection with the theft of 112 artifacts from the Mary Couts Burnett Library.

Word worked as a temporary painter for the Physical Plant periodically from 1998 to 2000, said TCU police chief Steve McGee. The dates of his employment were unavailable at the time of publication.

“At this time, we aren’t sure just exactly how the suspect gained access to the storage room or what he planned to do with the collection,” he said. “He has told us that he just stumbled on the pottery when he was reading at the library.”

TCU Police received word Saturday from Houston police that someone had come by the department concerned they received 10 pieces of the pottery from TCU’s Moorhead collection as collateral for driving Word from Fort Worth to Houston.

“The witness, who came forward, heard about the theft on the radio in Houston,” Ham said. “The extensive media coverage we got in this case, helped us find the suspect.”

Ham said he recovered the 10 pieces from Houston, met with the witness and made initial contact with Word following the tip. He returned to Houston Wednesday to bring Word back to Fort Worth.

McGee said a bulk of the collection has been recovered. A private investigator facilitated the recovery of 66 pieces last Friday morning.

Although Word has yet to give a written statement in the case, Ham said the suspect is willing to cooperate with police officials.

“We recovered these artifacts and made this arrest because we got tips and followed leads,” McGee said.

McGee said the citizens who came forward with information in this case were not paid for their assistance.

Police officials will continue meeting with the suspect Friday. Ham said a court date has not been set.

Jaime Walker
j.l.walker@student.tcu.edu