Suspect Coughs Up Diamond

Published on 29/01/10

A man suspected of stealing a 2-carat diamond ring literally coughed it up during police interrogations, according to published reports.

After a 23-year-old male and his 19-year-old girlfriend went into Joplin, Mo.'s Newton's Jewelry to have the ring appraised, store owner L.T. "Bunny" Newton recognized the ring, one that had recently been reported as stolen.

The ring, worth about $20,000 and featuring the diamond set between two sapphires, belonged to Comeau Jewelry customer Rebecca Moore, who was having repair work done on the ring and had picked it up from Comeau only hours before, according to a local paper, the Joplin Globe.

According to the Globe, Moore drove to a local mall after leaving Comeau. She parked, leaving her purse in the car, with the ring inside. Moore notified the police after discovering the theft.