You would think that having a safe for your valuables is enough to consider yourself safe. Well, actually not, especially if you cross paths with a cooky thief. Some of the strangest things ever stolen include a lawn, a freakin’ green, lush lawn. No one gets out of the house wondering if the lawn is still there or if someone parted ways with it. We particularly liked number 7 on this list! What about you? Which item were you shocked someone tried stealing? Leave a comment and let us know.
1. Einstein’s Brain
After Albert Einstein passed away in 1955, his brain was removed during the autopsy by a pathologist named Thomas Harvey, all of this happening without proper authorization. Harvey wanted to study the brain and unlock its secrets. Harvey didn’t just hide Einstein’s brain in some secret vault. Nope, he actually cut it into pieces and stored them in jars filled with formaldehyde!
2. Beach Sand
A significant amount of sand was stolen from Coral Springs, a Jamaican beach. It caused quite a stir, as it was not your ordinary petty theft, we’re talking about approximately 500 truckloads of sand disappearing never to be seen again. The stolen sand was suspected to be destined for the construction industry, where it could be used for various purposes like building projects or landscaping.
3. Bull Semen
4. Dog Poop
5. Bridges
In 2012 in the Czech Republic, some guys decided to plan a bold heist: the theft of a 10-ton steel bridge. The fun began when local police saw them in action and asked to see their IDs. The guys provided fake ones, saying they were taking the bridge apart to make way for a bike path. The policemen were duped and they managed to sell the bridge for scrap metal.
6. 5,000 Jars of Nutella
In April 2013, 5,000 jars of Nutella, worth an estimated $21,000, were stolen from a railway station in Niederaula, Germany. This had to be a planned theft, who on earth just stumbles across a Nutella stash that’s up for grabs? All, can you imagine the sugar rush?
7. Parts Of A Glacier
In 2012, a man embarked on a courageous journey, to steal five tones of ice from the Jorge Montt Glacier. Apparently the ice had one destination: fancy bars and restaurants where glacier ice is in high demand. Estimated at around $6,100, the theft caused a lot of commotion at the time, mostly because Chile, like the rest of world, is dealing with global warming aka glaciers disappearing at a faster than usual rate.
8. Ski Lift
We’re going back to the Czech Republic for this. And again with the same scenario: big theft, including pylons, pulley and 0.62 mile-long wire without anyone batting an eyelid, disappeared with no trace, the final destination being overly obvious: scrap metal.
9. Lawn
In May 2023 Bryan Michael Stoller woke up to discover almost 30 feet of artificial turf missing from his front lawn. The guys came equipped and all, you can’t just unroll it and go home with it, the whole thing has thousands of nails into it.
10. Condom Machine
The time a drunk guy committed a felony in the name of safe sex. In 1994 Keith Bradford went to the toilet of a pub and suddenly decided he must go home with the condom machine. He carried it home being so tipsy he didn’t notice the police following him.
11. Fiberglass Bison Testicles
Edmonton, Canada was the host of the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. In honor of this event, the city commissioned bison statues to represent the flag of each of the countries participating. While the police caught the two guys responsible for ‘depriving’ one bull of its pride and joy, 19 other cases remained unsolved. Memorabilia? Just for the rush of it? Kids these days? We’ll never know!
12. High-End Buttons
This one has a weird twist, guys. In 1992 a woman was caught stealing 27 buttons, worth $305, all while exploring the store pretending to look for clothes to buy. Cops discovered she was Felicidad Noriega, the wife of Panamanian Manuel Noriega, a dictator that at the same time his wife went shopping, was awaiting sentencing for a cohort of criminal activities. He got 40 years in prison for his deeds while his wife got away with some fines and community service.
13. A Small Fortune In Calculators
Between Feb. 19 and March 7 2023, a gang of teens broke into several school from the Bronx area and stole calculators and small school-related items worth around
$42,500. They’re easy to carry, to stash and easy to flip, no brainer here.
14. Hearse And Corpse Duo
Imagine how desperate you are for a quick buck that you decide to steal a hearse that has a body in the back. Deon Howard from Illinois stole the car then suddenly abandoned it on the side of the road. Aaaaaand, no body inside, the corpse was found only a day later.
15. A Wienermobile’s Catalytic Converter
Catalytic converter theft is on the rise, the metals used, palladium, rhodium, and platinum, are sold for big bucks. Or the thief just wanted to have a rare piece of automobile. It can go either way.
16. Beef Jerky Stash
Apparently DeeDee’s Finest Beef Jerky is the real deal cause it was hit twice, once at 10 pm and then again at 4 am, only several hours later. The thieves were later identified but provided no reason for their $3,000 worth of jerky joyride.
17. Napoleon Bonaparte’s Privates
We’re on a slippery slope here, from Einstein’s Brain to Bonaparte’s private parts. Napoleon died, an autopsy was conducted and the doctor in charge of the procedure cut it off then gave it to a priest that smuggled it from St. Helena to Corsica. As expected, it was not preserved well, shriveling beyond recognition. It was sold to John K. Lattimer – a famous urologist – in 1977, and it’s now part of their private collection.
What made you gasp more? The last one? The condom machine? Regardless, these are just some of the strangest things ever stolen, the human mind went to unexpected depths, we could have easily listed 100 things and still we wouldn’t have captured everything.
Recommended reading next: some weird things to search on Google ?
Which are the vehicles most likely to be stolen?
According to Cars.com, the following cars are beloved by car fans around the world, being them owners or thieves:
1. Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
2. Dodge Charger HEMI
3. Infiniti Q50
4. Dodge Challenger
5. Land Rover Range Rover four-wheel drive
6. Land Rover Range Rover Sport 4WD
7. Nissan Maxima
8. Kia Rio
9. Dodge Charger
10. Honda Accord
11. BMW X7 4WD
12. Chrysler 300
13. Kia Sportage
14. Ram 3500 crew cab LWB 4WD
15. Ford F-350 SuperCrew 4WD
16. Kia Sportage 4WD
17. Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD
18. Honda CR-V
19. Dodge Durango 4WD
20. Hyundai Accent
