A historic copper statue stolen from an Illinois church was reportedly sold for roughly $100 in scrap, although prosecutors allege the artwork was worth more than $10,000. Four people now face felony charges in connection with the disappearance of a sculpture that had stood in the church garden for generations.
The approximately five-foot-tall, hammered-copper artwork depicted St. Francis of Assisi and belonged to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alton.
Investigators believe the sculpture was transported across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, where it was scrapped less than 48 hours after disappearing in September.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the charges on October 19, 2026, following an Alton Police Department investigation. The Telegraph reported the individual allegations.
The Statue Was Reportedly Scrapped for About $100 Within 48 Hours
The sculpture vanished from St. Paul’s Garden sometime between the evening of September 12 and the morning of September 13. Church officials discovered it was missing before Sunday worship and initially hoped someone might help recover it.
The parish offered a $1,200 reward for the statue’s safe return, later increasing the amount to $2,000 after contributions from parishioners.
On October 1, the Rev. Father Garron C. Daniels, the church’s rector, shared the results of the investigation. According to RiverBender’s account, Daniels said the artwork had been scrapped in St. Louis for approximately $100.
Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said detectives had identified people believed responsible and would continue pursuing the investigation despite the unlikely prospect of recovering the original work.
Three Charged With Taking the Statue, Fourth Accused of Obtaining Copper
Latisha L. Conner and Justin A. Hogue, both of Alton, and Sydney D. White, of Staunton, each face one Class 1 felony theft charge. Prosecutors allege that the three knowingly exercised unauthorized control over a metal statue belonging to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with the intention of permanently depriving the congregation of its property.
The charging allegations place the statue’s value above $10,000 but below $100,000 and identify the church grounds as the location of the theft. That range is a criminal charging allegation, not an independently obtained appraisal.
Timothy A. Rodgers, also of Alton, faces a different accusation. According to the charging description quoted by The Telegraph, he obtained multiple pieces of stolen copper under circumstances that should reasonably have led him to believe the material had been stolen. Prosecutors allege that he intended to permanently deprive the church of the property.
The Madison County court-index records confirm four separate felony cases filed on October 19. Conner’s case is 2026CF002531, Hogue’s is 2026CF002532, White’s is 2026CF002534, and Rodgers’ is 2026CF002530.
The Sculptor’s Work Had Been Part of the Church Since the 1960s
The St. Francis statue was created by Newell Hillis Arnold. A historical account by John Dunphy in The Telegraph identifies a September 12, 1964, newspaper article documenting the statue’s dedication, which reportedly drew approximately 200 people.
That historical account places the sculpture at the church earlier than some later estimates suggesting installation during the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Arnold was born in Beach, North Dakota, in 1906 and became deaf after contracting meningitis as an infant. He earned a degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota and continued studying sculpture.
According to Cranbrook Archives, Arnold studied under Swedish sculptor Carl Milles from 1936 to 1938 and assisted with commissions including the Meeting of the Waters fountain in St. Louis.
In 1938, he joined Monticello College in Godfrey, Illinois, where he taught sculpture and ceramics for 34 years. His artwork frequently explored religious themes, and his commissions appeared in churches and civic buildings throughout the Midwest. He retired from teaching in 1972 and died in 1988.
Concrete and Steel Reinforcement Had Not Prevented the Theft
The St. Francis sculpture weighed several hundred pounds. In a September interview with First Alert 4, Daniels said the artwork had been stolen at least once during the 1980s or 1990s. The church subsequently reinforced the statue’s base with concrete and steel rebar to discourage another removal.
The parish had also experienced a series of copper thefts before the artwork vanished. Daniels said thieves removed copper downspouts from the church property over several weeks in late June, prompting repeated reports to police.
He estimated that the parish had filed four or five reports concerning stolen copper by the time the statue went missing.
Why Three Charges Are Class 1 Felonies and the Fourth Is Class 4
Under Illinois statute 720 ILCS 5/16-1, theft involving property valued above $10,000 but not exceeding $100,000 is ordinarily a Class 2 felony. When the theft occurs at a place of worship, school or involves governmental property, the statute elevates that value range to a Class 1 felony.
The filings for Conner, Hogue and White cite subsection 16-1(a)(1)(A), Illinois’ unauthorized-control theft provision.
Rodgers’ docket uses the separate description “THEFT/STOLEN/INTENT <500 PRIOR” and lists a Class 4 felony under subsection 16-1(a)(4)(A). That coded entry concerns the allegedly stolen material, not the value assigned to the statue in the other three cases. Illinois law allows certain theft offenses involving property worth no more than $500 to be classified as felonies when a qualifying prior conviction is involved.
The Telegraph reported that the charging paperwork cited an earlier burglary conviction involving Rodgers. The current docket confirms the Class 4 classification and prior-offense designation.
Illinois’ sentencing law establishes an ordinary prison range of four to 15 years for a Class 1 felony. A Class 4 felony generally carries one to three years in prison under Section 5-4.5-45, subject to applicable sentencing rules and the court’s determination.
All four defendants were initially released under pretrial conditions. A spokesperson for Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine told The Telegraph that prosecutors had filed petitions to revoke the pretrial release of Conner, White and Rodgers, alleging violations of conditions imposed in separate felony proceedings.
Those allegations are distinct from the statue-theft charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the new offenses unless proven guilty.
The Rector Forgave Those Responsible but Still Wants Accountability
Daniels described the disappearance as a painful loss for the congregation. In his earlier First Alert 4 interview, he explained that the statue had become such a familiar presence in the garden that it seemed almost like another member of the parish community.
When the church learned the sculpture had apparently been destroyed, Daniels acknowledged feeling angry and frustrated. His October message nevertheless extended forgiveness to those responsible, while emphasizing that forgiveness did not eliminate the need for accountability.
The parish has begun considering how to replace the artwork and plans to work with its insurance company to explore the options. Daniels recognized that any replacement would be different from Arnold’s original commission.
How Churches Can Document and Protect Valuable Outdoor Artwork
The FBI’s guidance on theft from religious institutions recommends maintaining inventories of significant artwork and artifacts, including photographs, dimensions, materials and identifying characteristics. These records can help police establish ownership and recognize objects offered for resale.
Places of worship can also review lighting, surveillance cameras, alarms and secure mounting arrangements for outdoor sculptures. When an artwork disappears, officials should preserve available surveillance recordings and provide investigators with identifying photographs and documentation.
The FBI’s Art Crime program maintains the National Stolen Art File, which can assist law enforcement in identifying qualifying stolen objects.
Anyone with information about the Alton theft can contact the Alton Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 618-463-3505, extension 635.