Robber steals widow's purse with late husband's wedding ring

BELLINGHAM, Mass. — Ten months ago, the bottom fell out of Caitlin Mackie's family life when she lost her husband, Ronnie.

Mackie and her six young children have been mourning his loss when, on Sunday, they were hit with yet another blow.

A thief stole Mackie's purse containing her late husband's wedding ring.

"I wore his wedding band every day around my neck. My 8-year-old son wants to use it when he gets married. It's just really important to us that it get returned," Mackie said.

The theft occurred as Mackie was putting donated clothes in a donation box in Bellingham on Sunday.

"Somebody pulled up and grabbed the purse from the passenger side of my car and drove off with it," she said.

Cash, her driver's license and other personal information were also stolen from Mackie's purse.

Mackie says everything can be replaced except for Ronnie's wedding band, which is a lasting symbol of their love.

"It means everything to me, the most important possession of his that I have," she said.

She filed a police report a couple of hours after the incident. The report states that her wallet containing $1,200 in cash was stolen, along with the wedding band, valued at $150.

"He was a hard worker. He made sure that we always had what we needed," she said.

Mackie said the family lost Ronnie "suddenly and unexpectedly and we're still trying to recover from that."

Mackie is asking anyone who finds her purse, described as a zebra-patterned Kathy Van Zeeland bag, and the ring to return the items to Bellingham Police. No questions will be asked and no charges will be pressed if the items are returned, she said.

She just wants her late husband's ring.

"Everybody that met him loved him," she said.

Cox Media Group