Pews, chairs, choir benches, chairs, and tables that were stolen from the historic Baptist "black church" in Quinnimont within the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia have been recovered by the National Park Service, which also has identified some suspects behind the thefts.

Back on February 7 rangers discovered all of the furnishings inside the church had been stolen. Based on multiple leads from the public last week, Park Service rangers have identified several suspects, and have been able to locate and recover all of the missing furniture, which had been sold to a local antique store, park staff said in a release. Investigation of the case is ongoing.

“We greatly appreciate the media interest and public assistance in this case,” said Superintendent Trish Kicklighter. “It’s reassuring to know that so many area residents care about both the NPS mission and the important resources that we strive to protect. Thanks to the multiple ‘tips’ we received from the public, and the quick follow-up work by our rangers, I’m happy to say that within one week of being discovered as missing, the stolen items have been returned to the park.”

As a reminder, anyone with information regarding crimes committed within New River Gorge National River, Bluestone National Scenic River, or Gauley River National Recreation Area is asked to contact the NPS at 304-465-6516 or Crime Stoppers of Raleigh County at 304-255-STOP (7867) at any time. The 24-hour tip line allows callers to remain anonymous. Cash rewards of up to $1000 are available to anyone providing information that leads to an arrest. Information on this crime or other violations may also be reported online at www.crimestoppersofraleighcounty.org.