Bronze pieces from MLK memorial in Denver recovered after being sold for scrap

Authorities say bronze artwork stolen from a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Denver’s City Park, along with seven bronze pieces from a nearby fountain, have been recovered

DENVER — Three bronze works of art stolen from a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Denver’s City Park, along with seven bronze pieces from a nearby fountain, were recovered after being sold to a scrap metal company, Denver police said Tuesday.

Police said that because the items were taken from two memorials and sold for scrap, they do not believe it was a bias-motivated crime. Two suspects are being sought and one of the men has been identified, police said.

A large plaque depicting black military veterans from the “I Have a Dream” monument was cut into four pieces before it was sold, police said. Last Friday, a torch and an angel were also recovered from the King’s Monument.

Investigators discovered that the missing pieces of the King monument were taken early February 18.

The thefts from the Joseph Addison Thatcher Memorial Fountain were not reported until the items were recovered from the scrap yard. Some pieces of the fountain are still missing, police said in a Crimestoppers poster announcing a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. The fountain was inaugurated in 1918.

Artist Ed Dwight created the King monument in 2002. It includes a bronze statue of King and smaller statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass.

Police returned the artwork to Denver Arts & Venues, which manages both monuments. Police declined to say how much the scrap yard paid for the pieces, citing the ongoing investigation.