ST. LOUIS – Prosecutors have charged a man in connection with the theft of a church bell from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in the historic Soulard neighborhood on 2023 Halloween night. The bell was later discovered on November 15.
According to a probable cause statement, on January 10, Melvin James Birchfield was charged for his involvement in the group that stole the historic bell from the parish. Investigators say he assisted in taking the church bell and kept it around November 1. A witness to the crime claimed that Birchfield was one of the individuals involved in the theft.
Police then searched Birchfield’s residence and uncovered various stolen items, including a bronze plaque from Jefferson Barracks and 54 firearms. Birchfield is a convicted felon who also confessed to stealing the plaques.
The bronze bell, valued at $30,000, incurred structural damage during the incident, with the total replacement cost estimated at $60,000.
Weighing between 500 and 800 pounds, the bell had sat in the rectory’s front yard for decades, capturing the attention of people passing by and causing them to stop to take photos.
