Arrests made in wedding day theft

Seymour Police officers arrested two people late Monday afternoon who are accused of being involved in a wedding day theft that made national headlines.

Casey D. Cockerham, 27, and his girlfriend, Michelle Nichalson, 24, both of Brownstown, were booked into the Jackson County Jail around 6:30 p.m. Monday on D felony charges of theft. Each was being held on $1,005 bond.

Police Chief Bill Abbott called it “a crime of opportunity” when Cockerham allegedly stole a large wire bird cage that held stacks of congratulatory cards filled with an estimated $5,000 in cash, checks and gift cards for local newlyweds Aaron “Bo” and Margaret Thompson Brown.

The theft took place Sept. 19 at the American Legion in Seymour, where the couple’s wedding reception was being held.

“To our knowledge, the suspects did not know the bride or groom,” Abbott said. “They were driving by and saw the reception going on and decided to take advantage of the situation.”

Abbott said none of the money has been recovered.

“Most of the gift cards had been canceled already and no one has tried to cash any checks,” he said.

The bird cage was found and turned in to police by a local resident who had read about the theft in the newspaper.

“A person picked it up off South Walnut Street and called us,” Abbott said.

The suspects were not charged with robbery, Abbott said, because they did not use force during the incident.

The original story that first ran in the Sept. 22 issue of The Tribune and online at TribTown.com was distributed by The Associated Press and appeared on Web sites across the country, including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Seattle Times.

It also made the news on radio and television stations near and far.