Madeline Bertrand statue returned to county park in Niles after theft

NILES — Almost two months later, the stolen statue of Madeline Bertrand is back in the county park named after the local Potawatomi woman, but the crime isn't fully solved.

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department reports that at 11 p.m. Saturday someone returned the damaged bronze statue next to the base of the pedestal where it had stood — well after Madeline Bertrand County Park, 3038 Adams St., had closed and the gates were locked.

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Park Manager Derek Tyler said the security camera's video shows the person walking in along the park's driveway, carrying the statue on their shoulder, setting it down and propping it up to lean against the concrete base. The person then snaps a cellphone photo and backs up a fe w steps and "does a happy dance," Tyler said.

Just from picking it up, it feels as though the statue weighs roughly 45 pounds.

Police said the thief had used excessive force to break the statue off overnight on March 15 or 16, leaving only the ankles and feet to remain on the pedestal. It shows no damage other than the severed feet.

Now the sheriff's department is reviewing the security footage as it continues to investigate. It asks that anyone who's heard anything about the theft — or seen photos of the statue on social media — to contact the detective bureau at 269-983-7141, extension 7224.

"Although we are happy to have the original statue back, we are all very concerned about this theft and what other damage this person may do at the park or in the surrounding neighborhood," Tyler said, noting that a catalytic converter was recently stolen at the park, too. "If it (the statue) gets repaired, will it happen again?"

The park's security camera captured the person returning it, though it's difficult to tell who the person is. When the statue was originally stolen, Tyler said, the camera only turned on when there was motion, and at that point, the motion was too far away. Now the camera runs continuously.

Installed in 1987, the three-foot statue was made by local artist Tuck Langland. It depicts Bertrand as a young woman. Bertrand was the daughter of Potawatomi Chief Topenebee, and at age 16 she married French fur trader Joseph Bertrand in 1804. The site where the park sits was deeded to Bertrand under the 1821 Treaty of Chicago.

Langland said he's seen a photo of it since it was returned and plans to remove the pedestal, then take it and the statue to his studio to weld them back together. This time, he said, he may add a stainless steel rod for reinforcement, making it more difficult to steal the statue again.

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The good thing about bronze is that it can be molded, have metal shaved off of it and have metal added to it, Langland said, adding, "You can do anything with it."

South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or [email protected].