NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - MySpace Page Helps Police Find Suspected Jewelry Thieves

MySpace Page Helps Police Find Suspected Jewelry Thieves

COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Jewel thieves took thousands of dollars worth of diamonds and gold, and then disappeared. Sheriff's detectives are breaking up the burglary ring and hope to recover the valuable gemstones.

A lead on a social networking site helped Maury County investigators break the case.

"They are karat diamond earrings that I got back in the 90s from my children," said burglary victim.

The owner of the earrings figured they were long gone. Then they turned up in a pawnshop, but she's still missing other heirlooms.

"Like grandmother's pearls, I mean stuff like that can't be replaced," said burglary victim.

The victim was heartbroken when in March thieves stole her private collection of gemstones and jewelry valued at more than $60,000.

Detectives said the jewel thieves spent months slowly selling off the jewels, and they might have gotten away with it except for a slip up.

"It's kind of lucky break at this time for us," said captain Jimmy Tenneyson, Maury County Sheriff's Department.

Maury County sheriff's detectives searched the MySpace page belonging to 28-year-old Amy Scott. On the page, police said there are actually photos of people modeling the stolen jewelry.

Detectives asked that NewsChannel 5 not show the specific photos as they are still closing in on the thieves.

They have already made two arrests: Amy Scott and 33-year-old Clifton Benderman, thanks in part to the MySpace page.

"It's not smart at all. You're going to give yourself away. In this situation that's what occured here," said Tenneyson.

Officers are in the process of identifying those wearing the jewelry on the website, and said they do expect to make more arrests.

There are dozens of pieces of jewelry still missing. The owner hopes the arrests will help investigators find them all.