Surprise woman offers $775 reward for return of grandfather's stolen ashes

Cash reward offered after urn is stolen from Surprise car

A Surprise woman is pleading for the return of her grandfather’s ashes and offering a cash reward after she says someone stole the urn from her vehicle. FOX 10's Megan Spector has this story.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - A Surprise woman is pleading for the return of her grandfather’s ashes and offering a cash reward after she says someone stole the urn from her vehicle Friday night.

The backstory:

Sage Ferrell said the theft occurred at her apartment complex near Bell Road and Grand Avenue on Dec. 19 when she accidentally left her car unlocked.

Her fiancé discovered the car doors slightly open the following day, leading Ferrell to realize the urn was missing. She said that at least four other vehicles in the area appeared to have been tampered with, some with trunks left open.

 The urn is described as light purple with silver trim and roughly the size of a hand. It was stored inside a small cinched bag.

"Me and my fiancé have moved probably four or five states now since we've been together, and my grandpa has been able to travel across the country with me," Ferrell said. "I just think that he's seen the world with me. I feel like he’s right there with me."

Sage Ferrell is offering a $775 reward for the return of a light purple urn containing her grandfather's ashes, which was stolen on the night of Dec. 19 from her unlocked vehicle near Bell Road and Grand Avenue.

Dig deeper:

Ferrell said she has carried the urn with her everywhere she goes. Desperate to recover the remains, she is now offering a $775 reward for its safe return, no questions asked.

"I don't need to know anybody's name," Ferrell said. "I’m really hoping that, after realizing that there was someone’s ashes in there, they would do the right thing and bring it back."

Ferrell said she feels as though she has lost her grandfather all over again. Her grandfather died of cancer in 2015.

Since she began driving at age 16, she said she has kept his ashes with her to maintain the close bond they shared. While Ferrell remains heartbroken over the loss of the urn, she is trying to maintain a positive outlook by remembering her grandfather’s personality.

"I’d like to think he would think this is a really funny situation. He was a very humorous guy," she said.

Still, the loss of the physical connection to him is painful.

"As I get to experience something new, he’s also there with me," Ferrell said. "I feel devastated that he’s not able to be with me anymore."

Woman pleads for return of grandfather's ashes

Sage Ferrell said she feels as though she has lost her grandfather all over again after a hand-sized urn containing his remains was stolen from her car Friday night. FOX 10's Megan Spector has this story.

What's next:

Ferrell has filed a report with local police. She said her primary goal is an anonymous and safe exchange to bring her grandfather home.

What you can do:

Anyone with information regarding the missing urn is asked to call the Surprise Police Department at 623-222-4000.

Map of the area where the urn was stolen