Duane “Dog” Chapman is sure the burglary of the Dog the Bounty Hunter merchandise shop in Edgewater, Colorado was an “inside job” because his late wife Beth Chapman told him so. Thieves broke into the store on Aug. 1, allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and priceless family mementos. The thieves reportedly took some of Beth’s personal items, including her bounty hunter gear.
During an interview with TMZ in Los Angles Friday night, Chapman said he would not get involved with trying to find the culprits himself because the Edgewater Police Department asked his team to stay out of the investigation. Chapman said he could find the person, but they agreed to “stay out of it.” However, if the hunt for the robber “goes national,” Chapman said he would try to track down the thief.
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When asked why police might think it was an inside job, Dog said he got a call from a psychic.
“A psychic called and said that she was contacted by Beth that said it’s an inside job,” Chapman explained. “So what does that mean? It wasn’t one of my kids!”
Sources told The Blast last week that police had “several leads” and are only looking for individuals who know the store’s operations. The suspect or suspects smashed the front door and went after items of “high value” during the robbery.
During a press conference on Aug. 2, Chapman gave the thieves 48 hours to come forward, but they did not.
“My message to the guy is, if you turn yourself in within the next 48 hours, I will not press charges. I will try to get you probation, a job,” Chapman said last week. “But if you don’t, there will be no mercy. I am not OJ Simpson, so I’m not gonna do this myself…I’ve been across the nation, captured fugitives, and Colorado, especially this county, is one of the greatest, and some of the best cops in the country. They work overtime without getting paid, and they do a lot of stuff without getting paid.”
The burglary happened less than two months after Beth’s death. She died on June 23 after a battle with throat cancer at age 51.
While police try to solve this mystery, fans will soon be able to watch Dog and Beth track down other criminals in WGN America’s Dog’s Most Wanted. The new series will debut on Wednesday, Sept. 4, with a two-day Dog the Bounty Hunter marathon proceeding it.
“My wife is, was, and always will be the heart and soul of Dog’s Most Wanted,” Chapman said in a statement last month. “Beth wanted nothing more than for the show to go on, and I am so proud of the legacy that she left behind. She lived and died for this show, and she would be so proud of how hard we worked bringing these criminals to justice.”
Photo credit: Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
