WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2006
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 9
CRIME
Jayhawk vandalized
Owner of Jayhawk Bookstore offers reward for suspect information
Contributed photo
A damaged Jayhawk statue rests in the bed of a truck. The Jayhawk, which sat in front of Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road, was vandalized sometime Sunday morning. Contributed photo
BY TOM SLAUGHTER
tslaughter@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
At least three suspects are wanted in a case of vandalism that occurred at Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road, early Sunday morning. The suspects, two male and one female, were recorded on surveillance cameras positioned outside of the store. According to Bill Muggy, owner of the bookstore, the two male subjects allegedly began rocking the "Bit O' Hawk" statue that rested at the front entrance to the store in an attempt to loosen the statue from its concrete base. Once the statue was removed from the base, Muggy said he thought the suspects used a saw to remove one of the feet from the statue.
After watching the male subjects vandalize the statue, the female took pictures celebrating the crime.
Muggy said he hoped the celebratory nature of their actions would lead to their arrest.
would read,
"I've got to assume that there was a fair amount of bragging," he said.
Muggy said that a number of cars were seen driving by on the surveillance tapes while the crime occurred and he was hopeful that many of those drivers could identify the suspect.
The statue, titled "Bit O' Hawk," was designed by Katie Kring. Also on the premises of the bookstore are "Mascot Miro," by Susan Younger and "Merhawk on the kaw" by Sharon Dewey.
The three statues were sponsored by Muggy as a part of the Jayhawks On Parade art display that occurred in 2003 across Lawrence. In addition to the three Jayhawk statues at the bookstore, there are 27 others in Lawrence.
Muggy said the price to sponsor each statue was $5,500. He was not sure what the estimated value of each statue would be.
Muggy is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrests of the three suspects.
He said if no one could help turn the suspects in, he would consider removing the other two statues.
Edited by Adrienne Bommarito
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