Accused thief may have gotten away — if it weren’t for his severed finger, TN cops say
A detached finger pointed Tennessee deputies to an alleged thief after a log splitter went missing from a home this week.
Anderson County authorities got a call about the stolen machinery Thursday morning and learned the suspect had left his tools, a cell phone — and a finger — behind, WBIR reported. The homeowner told deputies the finger was among the tools and other items left scattered at the end of the driveway.
Deputies called local hospitals looking to locate a patient who was short one finger, the sheriff’s office said, according to WVLT-TV. Their investigation led them to 50-year-old Hugh Seeber, who’d been dropped off at Methodist Medical Center with a missing finger that morning.
He was then taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for treatment, WATE reported.
A deputy met Seeber at the hospital with the detached finger, authorities said. He was later questioned by investigators and arrested for felony theft of property.
“I am very proud of the work our guys did today,” Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker said, according to WBIR. “Mr. Seeber’s finger pointed us in the right direction, which led to him being charged.”
It’s unclear if the victim’s log splitter was recovered.
