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Jewels Belonging To Pro Football Star Walter Payton’s Family Recovered By Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies and Jackson, Mississippi Police

Release Date: January 11, 2006

Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies and officers from the Jackson, Mississippi Police Department arrested a man this afternoon who allegedly took jewelry from pro football star Walter Payton’s mother’s home in Jackson, Mississippi several months ago.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Jackson, Mississippi officers raided a house in Frayser today just after 1:00 p.m., at 3676 Julia. They found more than $150,000 in jewelry stolen from Walter Payton’s mother, Alyne Payton, on September 30, 2005.

Investigators took Andrew Thrash, 61, of Jackson, Mississippi, into custody at the house on Julia.

Detectives say Thrash, along with a woman accomplice, knocked on Ms. Payton’s door posing as federal police officers. They told her they had reports that counterfeit jewelry had been discovered in the neighborhood and that they needed to see any jewelry she possessed.

Ms. Payton invited the two into her home. The woman took Ms. Payton’s jewelry box and never returned. Thrash, then left her home with Ms. Peyton chasing after him. Neighbors saw the disturbance and called Jackson Police. They arrested Thrash just after the robbery but the lady suspect was never caught.

After being released from the Jackson, Mississippi Jail on bond, Thrash failed to cooperate with them about the investigation and left town. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Among the jewelry found today originally belonging to Payton, were a Chicago Bears lapel pin and unique National Football League coin that had Payton’s picture on the front and the number “16,726” on the back, which represented the total yards Payton ran during his professional football career. The coin read, “All Time NFL Rushing Leader.”

Besides the lapel pin and N.F.L. coin, several watches, chains and a special bracelet made for Payton’s mother were recovered.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Jackson officers also found the bogus police identification Thrash used in the robbery.

Tonight Thrash has been charged with Theft of Property over $10,000.

He will be extradited back to Jackson, Mississippi tomorrow.