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Thanks to Medway Detective Sergeant Swarthout for sharing this story:
Some stories take years to come full circle.
In 2009, during a multi-town investigation into a series of residential break-ins across the MetroWest area, including Medway, large amounts of stolen property were seized and eventually returned to their rightful owners. One item, a University of New Hampshire Class of 1979 football team ring, remained in evidence. It had never been reported stolen, and despite early efforts, its owner could not be identified.
At the time, then-Dispatcher Ryan Ober worked tirelessly to track down the owner, including making records requests and engaging in media outreach, but the trail went cold .Fast forward more than a decade. Now Sergeant Ryan Ober, serving as our Evidence Custodian, recently came across the ring again during an evidence review and decided it was time to try one more time. With the help of UNH providing digital copies of old yearbooks, Sergeant Ober was finally able to identify the owner as Mr. Timothy Confrey of Wayland.
A few weeks before Christmas, Sergeant Ober reached out. By coincidence, Mr. Confrey was preparing to attend his annual holiday lunch with his UNH football teammates the very next day and invited Sergeant Ober to join them. It was there, surrounded by teammates and memories, that Mr. Confrey was reunited with his ring after more than 15 years.
This story is a reminder that police work does not always end when a case closes. Sometimes it is about persistence, integrity, and doing the right thing no matter how much time has passed. We are proud of Sergeant Ober and grateful to Mr. Confrey for allowing us to share this special moment.
