Stolen Viola Smashed to Pieces in West Philly

Nancy Drye had the viola and three laptops stolen from her Powelton Village home earlier this month. Her $9,000 viola was found smashed.

While it didn’t reach the level of a stolen $6 million Stradivarius, the viola Nancy Drye had stolen from her house was valuable: $9,000. And it was a prized possession of the Powelton Village resident, who plays in the Penn orchestra.

Well, it was found smashed in a vacant lot earlier this week. Yes, instead of attempting to fence the viola, the thieves just smashed it and left it at 39th and Haverford.

“It feels like a death in the family,” Drye told Action News, “but at least I don’t have to worry anymore.”

Thieves also took three laptop computers from her, and she’s not sure if thieves were targeting her instrument. Getting a valuable instrument back can be a chore. In 2004 in San Francisco, a woman set up a makeshift command post, contacting 300 music stores until she found the man who pilfered a $46,000 viola.

It’s not clear if the thieves knew they had an instrument from the 1790s that was worth about nine grand before smashing it.

[6 ABC]