Sheriff’s Deputy Solves Chipola’s Cold Case 1/1/09

Case has been open and unsolved since 1987
By Sid Riley

Officer Rufus Baron recently came a step closer to solving a theft case which occurred on the Chipola Campus in 1987. At that time a Chipola student, Rita Lynn Hooks had her wallet stolen from her purse while eating in the Chipola school cafeteria. The wallet was never found.
Renovations of the school cafeteria are currently underway. The construction workers tore into a wall which separates the mens and ladies restrooms from the cafeteria. To their surprise, stuffed between the walls was a ladies blue wallet. They gave the wallet to Deputy Rufus Baron who was on duty on the campus.
Officer Baron engaged in some detective work and discovered that the former student of twenty one years ago now resides in Memphis, Tennessee. He found her telephone number, gave her a call and asked if she could ever recall losing her wallet during her years at Chipola. She responded that she vividly recalled having her wallet stolen from her purse on one occasion. The officer told her he had her wallet in hand and was prepared to return it to her.
So, after all of those years, the blue wallet is now on its way to Tennessee and its rightful owner……The criminal remains at large......but the search is ongoing.