‘Hey, you know any missing Liberty Bells?’ Meet the man who helped track down stolen Liberty Bell replica
Mar 5, 2025, 9:52 AM
Replica of stolen Liberty Bell replica recovered. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
A replica Liberty Bell, valued at approximately $20,000, has been recovered. The bell was stolen from Evergreen Washelli Cemetery. A resident discovered the bell hidden under a tarp and reported the find to authorities.
“The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio was fascinated by the crime. “How do you transport and hide a massive replica Liberty Bell?” co-host Jake Skorheim asked.
Co-host Spike O’Neill didn’t even know one existed, but was impressed by its value. “[It was] evaluated at almost like $20,000 in its artistic form. Now, if that’s like three grand worth of bronze, yeah, that’s not a bad haul for people who rip cables out of street lights or guard rails for scrap.”
One person who knows just about everything about Liberty Bell replicas? Tom Campbell, and he told “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio that he actually got a tip on the stolen replica.
Related from MyNorthwest: Parking enforcement spots Liberty Bell replica stolen from local cemetery
Tracking down the replica Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell replicas are scattered around the country and one man has made it a hobby to track them. Campbell runs a website called Tom Loves the Liberty Bell.
Campbell told Jake and Spike he actually got a tip about the stolen replica.
“I track Liberty bells around the world. It’s an odd hobby that came to be in some strange ways, but the result of it, the magic of the internet, is that I tend to be kind of the go-to place if someone spots a Liberty Bell out and about,” Campbell explained. “Or, as was the case, Saturday morning, someone found a trailer with some garbage and a bell outside of their house, and just happened to leave a comment on the website that said, ‘Hey, you know any missing Liberty bells?'”
“What are the odds?” Jake exclaimed.
Police were called, and ultimately, the bell was returned.
Listen to the full discussion on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
