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Greater Victoria bride sees photos of herself online two years after camera was stolen

VicPD posts pictures from stolen camera in hopes of finding rightful owner
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The rightful owners of a camera were found after the Victoria Police Department released this image. (Courtesy of VicPD)

A Greater Victoria woman was scrolling the web one day when she spotted a photo of herself and her family on her wedding day.

“I was shocked,” said Jennifer Sheppard. “It was so strange, not just to see the photo but I think I received more than 40 messages from people.”

Sheppard’s wedding took place in August 2018 at Sandcut Beach in Sooke. The small family gathering had Sheppard’s brother and father taking pictures on separate cameras.

About five months later her brother’s camera was stolen out of his car in downtown Victoria, before Sheppard was ever able to see the photos.

READ MORE: VicPD asks for help finding owner of recovered camera

“They weren’t the only photos, but there were some on there I really wanted to see,” she said. “We’d nicely arranged our nieces and nephews, and every photo with my father in it was on that camera.”

Not only was Sheppard’s wedding on the camera, but so too was her sister’s 2017 wedding where her brother and father were also the only photographers.

Approximately a year after the camera was stolen Victoria police found the camera linked to another break and enter investigation. On Jan. 23, VicPD was called to a report of a break and enter in the 700-block of Johnson Street, and during their investigation officers found a black Canon Powershot SX0IS.

On April 8, VicPD released one of the photos from the camera in hopes of finding the rightful owners.

ALSO READ: Weddings cancelled, postponed and altered due to COVID-19

The response was overwhelming.

“We had my father-in-law phoning saying he had people from his past from 20 years ago calling him to see how he was doing,” Sheppard said. “Between all of us, we probably got 100 messages. It was pretty nice, especially in this time of quarantine when you’re not seeing anyone.”

Sheppard added it was astounding that not only was the camera found, but that two years later the SD card containing the photos had not been erased.

“Clearly they forgot that they stole the camera,” she said.

Sheppard has yet to retrieve the camera from police but hopes to have the photos in hand in the next couple of days.

nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com


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