A former Sedalia resident has reportedly confessed to stealing Civil War antiques from the Pettis County Museum, causing a nationwide search for multiple lost items. The Sedalia Police Department has submitted a charge of stealing against Terry J. Cockrell, 38, of Coffeyville, Kansas, to the Pettis County Prosecutor’s Office. A Pettis County Circuit Court judge could issue a warrant for his arrest, should Prosecutor Phillip Sawyer file the charge. Cockrell volunteered at the Sedalia museum for several years before he moved away last fall, according to a press release from SPD detective Jill Green. He had access to the museum building and the objects on display. On March 24, museum co-curator Charles Wise reported several Civil War era items were missing, including a cap and ball musket rifle, a sword, a surgical kit, and a brass-barrel Blunderbuss firearm. The items have a value of several thousand dollars, meaning Cockrell’s charge could reach felony status . . .
Source: The Sedalia Democrat4 April 2018