NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An investigation is underway after Aaron Kennedy's life work and memorabilia were stolen out of a storage facility.
The items have been held at Life Storage on Nolensville Pike since 2021. The Kennedy family says they put all their trust into this storage facility
Kennedy an established musician within the industry, known for working with legends, expressed his shock and devastation.
"Ricky Larson, Michael Jackson's drummer was a dear friend to me and had all his sticks. I worked with Stewart Copeland on the Letterman show and was fortunate to acquire that kit. It was arranged for me because of my passion and trust in the industry," Aaron said.
Decades of instruments, memorabilia, and more priceless items from well-known artists were all placed inside this storage facility in 2021 when Aaron and his wife Nicole moved from Nashville to Pennsylvania.
Fast forward to this week; Aaron came back to gather his belongings with a friend to take his items home, but it didn't go as he expected.
"I put the key in and I'm like how do you do this again? He's like, 'Oh, here,' and opened it, left it open, and my stuff was gone," Aaron explained.
Everything except for a few boxes with some family photos remained. "300 grand worth of my life was gone," Aaron said.
The Kennedys insisted that they were the only ones with keys to their unit, the unit showed no signs of tampering, and they had diligently paid their monthly bills.
However, the storage company, Life Storage, which has since merged with Extra Space Storage, refused to provide them with any surveillance video, they say.
Aaron Kennedy expressed his frustration, saying, "His attitude was obtuse. I've yet to get a call from anybody."
The couple is already finding Aaron's stolen items for sale online. He said with a heavy heart, "I come from a little village in Ireland, and I worked really hard for this."
Aaron Kennedy continued, listing some of the stolen items, "boxes and boxes of magazines dating back to 1986, my first stick bag, all the way to Stewart Copeland's signature drum kits that are one-offs, Phil Collins' drum kit, one of a kind, made for me by a dear friend."
Aaron and his wife Nicole trusted Life Storage on Nolensville Pike with their items. Nicole mentioned, "This place was claiming to be secure and modern and has all the modern features."
But somehow, someone was able to gain access to the unit and steal nearly everything inside. Aaron Kennedy explained the security measures he had taken, saying, "Used my code, went in, two keys, one key is here in PA, and one is with me on my lanyard. I have the cylinder lock with me downstairs; go around and put a personal code in."
The Kennedys have filed a police report. However, they suspect it was an inside job, while the company denies it.
A spokesperson for the company stated since July of 2023, they have had new management and new employees. They're willing to work with police to find out what led to the theft.
They go on to say security is a very high priority for them.
Fellow musicians and industry leaders are helping Kennedy track down his stolen items, recently connecting with a guy from California who purchased one of the stolen drum sets. Aaron explained, "It was displayed at Guitar Center for a few months as a display."
The Kennedys are working with Guitar Center and Metro Police to get to the bottom of the theft. Aaron says the stress is making him sick, and Nicole revealed, "He has an ulcer that was caused by stress."
Despite the challenges they face, the Kennedys are holding onto hope that they'll be able to recover some of the stolen items.
The company spokesperson added that they will turn over any evidence the police need for their investigation.
