Stolen Custom T-Rex Statue Found Mysteriously Buried Months After Theft

A police investigation turned into a paleontological dig in Washington state after a stolen tyrannosaurus rex statue weighing 400 pounds was found mysteriously buried on private land.

According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the T. rex statue was initially reported stolen from a landscaped display on the roundabout at N. Dupont Road and N. Mellon Parkway in North Spokane on Sunday, March 8. Investigators believe it was taken sometime between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. that day.

The custom metal statue stands about 3.5 feet tall and weighs approximately 400 pounds. According to the sheriff’s office, it would have cost approximately $70,000 to replace.

After asking for the public’s help locating the unique statue, the sheriff’s office received multiple tips, but some of those reports referred to a “smaller copycat version” of the statue spotted “riding around in a black SUV.”

But one anonymous tip indicated the real T. rex statue, dubbed “Rex,” was “randomly buried” on a property in the area of N. Short Road and W. Montgomery Road.

On May 22, deputies, “in their newfound paleontologist role,” began searching the area for Rex with the “unsuspecting and uninvolved” landowner’s permission. After spotting a location where the dirt appeared disturbed and covered over with dead branches, surrounded by lush grass, deputies “began excavating.”

“They carefully uncovered Rex and eventually freed him from his dirt-filled dungeon,” the sheriff’s office said. A tow truck “assisted in the rescue,” due to the statue’s weight, and it was returned to its owners.

Photos shared by the sheriff’s office show the burial site before it was excavated, appearing as an out-of-place mound of debris. After digging, Rex can be seen lying in the pit before it was removed.

The sheriff’s office said the owners are now working to repair “minor damage” Rex sustained during his “unauthorized journey.”

“It is unknown when Rex might be reinstalled at his perch of prominence,” the sheriff’s office said.

No arrested have been made in the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect or suspects involved is asked to call SCIU Detective N. Kauffman at 509-477-3224, reference #10030824.