BEDFORD—A Mooresville man has been arrested for theft after law enforcement recovered a stolen chainsaw he had pawned. The investigation revealed that the suspect had sold the tool to a local pawn shop.
Joseph W. Butcher, 35, has been implicated in the theft of a Stihl-brand chainsaw, which was reported missing by its owner on October 18, 2024. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Officer Corey D. Housel, Williams noted that Butcher, a former employee and relative, took the chainsaw from his shed on August 28, 2024, during his final day of work at a residence on Sunny Acres Drive in Lawrence County.
The owner said he lent Butcher the chainsaw, estimated at $501, to help with property maintenance work, including cutting up a deck. When the owner noticed the chainsaw was missing, he contacted Butcher but received only a brief response indicating that the saw had been returned to the shed. However, when the owner could not locate the tool, he suspected Butcher had taken it.
The investigation uncovered that Butcher, who had previously pawned other items at a pawn shop in Bedford, sold the chainsaw there on August 28, the same day it went missing. Using the owner’s serial number, law enforcement verified the chainsaw’s sale to the pawn shop. According to the pawn shop’s records, Butcher received $70 for the chainsaw.
Further investigation confirmed that the chainsaw matched the description and serial number of the stolen property. The pawn shop agreed to hold the item for investigation. Upon recovery, the owner was notified that the chainsaw had been located, and he could reclaim it from the sheriff’s department after proper verification.
The owner expressed that the chainsaw had sentimental value, as it was the first tool he purchased when he started his property maintenance business. Despite the financial loss, he had hoped for a resolution without involving the police but ultimately decided to press charges when his efforts to recover the chainsaw were unsuccessful.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
