Dungeon Display Desecrated—

Sword, Werewolf Heads Snatched

From Halloween Tableau

By Andrew Gorosko

For the past 20 years, the Moulthrop family has been displaying various macabre tableaux in their Buttonball Drive yard in Sandy Hook for the amusement of trick-or-treaters who would come knocking on their door in search of candy.

The scary scene that the Moulthrops decided to construct for Halloween night last week was a medieval dungeon.

In that design, wooden panels were decorated to simulate masonry walls. A creepy-looking coffin was placed on the ground to hold a costumed Bruce Moulthrop who was playing the role of a dead knight.

Adjacent to the coffin was a gleaming, hefty sword. Nearby were two elaborate masks simulating werewolves. A burning tiki torch and fake skulls provided atmosphere.

The people who came to the Moulthrop’s house enjoyed the festiveness of Halloween and the horrific display.

Apparently, some people who visited the property enjoyed the decorations too much. Those unknown persons stealthily stole the sword and the two werewolf head masks.

Mr Moulthrop explained this week that roughly 150 people had stopped by at his property trick-or-treating.

The computer technologist had spent most of the night at the display, but for about 30 minutes, he stepped out of his role as the dead knight and went into his house. It was apparently then that the sword and two head masks were stolen.

Mr Moulthrop explained that he had been careful to construct the display to provide limited access to it, but somehow, someone who liked the items managed to steal the goods.

The stolen sword is rather hefty at about 20 pounds. It has a lengthy silvery steel blade with a brown wooden handle. The item is worth about $100.

The black and the white werewolf head masks depict enraged feral beasts. Each of the two masks is valued at $50.

Mr Moulthrop estimates that the three items were stolen sometime between 9:30 and 10 pm. No vandalism accompanied the thefts, he said. Mr Moulthrop reported the incident to police, who are investigating the case as a larceny.

Mr Moulthrop said that during his 20 years of staging such Halloween displays in his yard, he had never had a problem with thefts.

If some local parents notice that their children suddenly are in possession of a rather hefty sword and some werewolf head masks, they will know where they came from, Mr Moulthrop observed.

He asks anyone with information on the whereabouts of the ghoulish items to contact him via email at moulthropb@newtown.k12.ct.