Tybee Island Police Coordinate with Outside Agency to Recover Stolen Historic Doorknob.

(Tybee Island, GA) - On June 3, 2021, the staff at the Tybee Island Lighthouse noticed that a 155 year old doorknob was missing from an exterior door at the top of the structure. The following day, the lighthouse crew posted about the theft on social media and gave the person responsible an opportunity to return the knob with “no questions asked”. After receiving no response, the lighthouse staff contacted the Tybee Island Police Department (TIPD) and an investigation was launched in hopes of recovering an important piece of Tybee’s history.

On June 8, 2021, the Tybee Island Police Department posted a photo of the unknown suspect on Facebook and asked for the public’s help in indentifying the man. That post was shared almost 3,000 times in a matter of 24 hours, leading to an abundance of tips on the man’s possible identity and whereabouts. One of those tips led officers to look at a man residing in Greene County, Indiana. After reaching out to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the team at TIPD were able to confirm that the Indiana man was indeed the suspect they were seeking.

On June 9, 2021, deputies of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office responded to the man’s residence and successfully recovered the stolen doorknob. Arrangements are currently being made to send the doorknob back to Tybee Island where it can be returned to it’s rightful home. Charges on the suspect are pending at this time.

The men and women of the Tybee Island Police Department would like to extend special thanks to the staff of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office (Indiana) and all of our friends across the social media community for their help in this investigation. Thank you.