Burglary at Fort Walla Walla Museum under investigation

WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla Police Department is investigating a burglary that occurred overnight Tuesday at the Fort Walla Walla Museum.

“There were no obvious signs of forced entry, but museum staff reported that several items were taken,” WWPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Nick Loudermilk said.

Fort Walla Walla Museum Executive Director James Payne explained one or two perpetrators got into a workshop/storage area, rummaged around, and stole a crowbar, a plastic garbage can and collection of bottles from the old Walla Walla City Dump. Payne said it’s currently unknown if additional items were taken from this area.

“An internal door that connected with exhibit space was then broken,” Payne explained. “A display case sharing the story about the early history of the Washington State Penitentiary was broken into and ten items are missing. The perpetrator(s) escaped by breaking a gate on the museum fence adjacent to the Fort Walla Walla Cemetery. The stolen items may have been carried away in the garbage can.”

Payne described the stolen bottles were marked “WWCD” with additional markings. A number of these bottles were dropped on museum grounds. The penitentiary items included two crude prisoner-made pistols, a 1920s Billy Club that held a gas canister, hand cuffs with a body chain, leg shackles, two padlocks, and three large jail cell keys.

“The gallery in Exhibit Hall 5 will remain closed until repairs are made,” Payne added.

The museum is in the process of conducting an inventory to determine the full extent of the loss. Some of the stolen items were later found discarded nearby.

“Stealing from the museum is stealing from an entire community,” Payne said. “If these items are not recovered, everything in this area has lost a bit of their past.”

WWPD said this remains an active investigation and that at this time, no suspects have been identified.

EMG file photo

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