A theft at the Merrimack Historical Society last month has police asking the public to help track down a suspect who fled the scene in an Audi sedan. The break-in happened at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, inside the society's headquarters at 10 Depot Street, according to a police statement.
Police did not disclose what was actually taken, but they did release surveillance images showing a male suspect and the vehicle he was driving away in, as reported by Newport Dispatch. The Merrimack Police Department is now asking anyone who recognizes the individual or the Audi, which was seen without a front license plate, to call 603-424-3774.
The site of the theft is no ordinary office building. The Merrimack Historical Society is headquartered inside Reeds Ferry Schoolhouse No. 3, a historic two-room wooden grammar school that operated from 1845 to 1961 and later housed the local PTA kindergarten until 2021, according to the Merrimack Historical Society. The organization also owns and maintains a second historic building, Schoolhouse No. 12 on Boston Post Road in South Merrimack, an 1847 one-room schoolhouse it acquired in 1988.
A Volunteer-Run Archive With Deep Roots
The Merrimack Historical Society was founded in June 1970 at the Merrimack Public Library and operates today as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, according to the society. Its volunteers have compiled and published the official two-volume history set “The History of Merrymac,” first in 1976 and again with an updated edition in 2020.
Just three weeks before the theft, the schoolhouse was packed with visitors rather than sitting quiet. On July 21, the society hosted a community-wide celebration at the same 10 Depot Street facility, complete with artisan demonstrations, a time-capsule burial, and a Yankee Brass Band concert marking America's 250th anniversary, according to The Nashua Telegraph. The town itself traces back to April 2, 1746, when it was incorporated under the name Merrymac, before its municipal boundaries were expanded on June 5, 1750, the newspaper reported.
What the Suspect Could Face
Because police have not released an appraised value or description of the stolen item, it remains unclear how serious the potential charges could be. Under New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 637:11, theft is a misdemeanor if the property is valued at $1,000 or less, a Class B felony if valued between $1,000 and $1,500, and a Class A felony carrying up to 15 years in prison if the value exceeds $1,500, according to the state statute.
Merrimack police have some technological help in cases like this one. The department received $420,000 in federal COPS Tech program funding through the fiscal year 2024 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill to install body-worn and cruiser camera systems, according to a U.S. Senate report.
Anyone with information can also submit anonymous tips through the Merrimack Crimeline at 603-424-2424 or by sending a direct message to the police department's official Facebook page, according to a statement posted by the department. Nearly a month passed between the August 11 theft and the department's public appeal for help, leaving the identity of both the suspect and the stolen item unresolved for now.
