A woman who had her wallet stolen while she was a university student 43 years ago received an unexpected message that led to a surprising discovery. In 1983, while studying at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, the woman, then 18, realized her wallet had been taken from her backpack in a crowded room. The wallet contained her student ID and driver's license.
The Unexpected Message
Decades later, now 62, she received a Facebook message request from a man whose account appeared suspicious. Despite her initial hesitation, she accepted the request. To her amazement, the man introduced himself as a city groundskeeper who had found her wallet while mowing grass near a sports field. He sent a photo of the wallet, which was deteriorated and covered in mold, but her photo ID cards were still intact.
Decision to Decline Return
The groundskeeper offered to return the wallet, but the woman declined, noting it only contained outdated cards. Speaking to Newsweek, she said, "The image is enough to remind me of my school years and some of the people I knew back then. And the memory nudge of the sideways driver's license picture has been fun."
Reddit Post and Reactions
She shared the story on Reddit's 'Mildly Interesting' forum, writing, "Someone found my wallet that was stolen 43 years ago. A groundskeeper for the city noticed it while mowing and found me on FB to ask if I wanted it back." Users were curious, asking how far the wallet was found from the theft location. She replied, "Maybe a five minute walk. Looks like they took it to the edge of campus and tossed it in a field."
When asked about her reaction to the message, she said, "Profanity fell from my fingertips. And then I laughed. I can't even remember what the wallet looked like or what I did to replace all the cards. I never again left my bag unwatched, though." Some speculated the groundskeeper might have been the thief, but she dismissed this, noting he appeared younger than 43.
