Richard Matthews Accused of Swallowing Diamond, Watched To See If Jewel Passes

Police in Canada say they have had no luck retrieving a $20,000 diamond that was allegedly ingested last week by a well-known jewel thief.

"He has had numerous, numerous bowel movements and our forensic officers have been sifting through his waste, but at this point we haven't had any luck," Windsor Police Service Sgt. Brett Corey told The Huffington Post.

Police have been waiting nearly a week for 52-year-old Richard Matthews, an ex-con with a lengthy criminal record, to pass the diamond through his digestive system.

There is no question, Corey said, that the gem is there and that it is not alone. "We took him to the hospital for X-rays to see where the stone is and we found three stones, two that we believe are cubic zirconia, and the one diamond. They seem to be lodged in his lower intestine," Corey said.

STRANGE CRIME MUG SHOTS: (Article Continues Below)

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Authorities said they believe Matthews swallowed the stones May 10, when he went to Precision Jewellers in Windsor, Ontario, and asked to see a 1.7-karat diamond.

"It was a loose stone. He picked it up and then I noticed he switched it, because when he put it back, I saw [the one he put down] was a cubic zirconia," Precision Jewellers employee Liz Dick told HuffPost.

Dick alerted a fellow employee about the alleged theft and police soon arrived, but not before Matthews allegedly hid the evidence. "By his movements, I saw he had put it in his mouth," Dick said. "The police took him into the bathroom and did a strip search but they didn't find it."

Since that time, Matthews has been incarcerated in a jail cell with no plumbing and has been provided with a bedpan so authorities can sift through his waste.

"He is in what we call a 'dry cell'," Corey said. "It does not have a toilet, sink or anything else for that matter. He is being allowed to eat solid food and he's been given cleansing substances to try to pass the stone."

Matthews has several prior convictions for fraud and is wanted in Toronto on an outstanding warrant. In the incident, he was charged with theft over $5,000. Once the diamond is retrieved, an additional charge of possession of stolen property will be filed against him, police said.

But for now, everything is at a standstill while nature takes its course. "Right now we're sitting, watching and waiting," Corey said. "He's being very cooperative with us and we're attempting to obtain the evidence so we can return it to the owners."

As for the diamond's future, Dick said it remains uncertain. "I don't know, maybe we'll call it a chocolate diamond," she said, laughing.

Quick Poll

Would you be interested in purchasing the $20,000 'chocolate diamond' if police retrieve it?

No, that's nasty!

Yes, its only poop!

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Comments

[justgigging]

06:04 PM on 05/23/2012

Place him with cellmate with " Ben Dover " to some Deep Fracking to loosen things up....

[l monroe]

01:54 AM on 05/23/2012

OOOH HAAA, pass the gallon of OJ and peanuts. That to shall pass.

[hubertandsusan]

12:37 AM on 05/19/2012

It's that white bread and baloney they are feeding him in prison, clogging him up. Please explain why he swallowed the CZ's. As a Decoy?

[Bad Company]

08:21 PM on 05/18/2012

I'm glad this story was not about digging for gold.

[Bad Company]

07:22 PM on 05/18/2012

Due to budgit cut's, the police station is out of rubber gloves.

[Bad Company]

07:21 PM on 05/18/2012

Give the poor dude a bucket.

[l monroe]

01:55 AM on 05/23/2012

With bars so he can't swallow it again.

[KarmaPatrol]

03:30 PM on 05/18/2012

The last part about the diamond will be returned to the rightful owners, ... talk about "a diamond in the rough".

[lizp33558]

11:27 AM on 05/18/2012

wow, thats all i got.

[aphextwin07]

11:17 AM on 05/18/2012

haha

[suddenfun]

08:30 AM on 05/18/2012

Does this mean a deuce is a girls best friend?

[Blackspeare]

06:44 PM on 05/17/2012

There's a good joke here somewhere----I just can't think of it.

[blisster]

08:53 AM on 05/17/2012

So this is how you crack a case.

[cheesecake chick]

03:29 PM on 05/22/2012

too bad they cancelled Law and Order......would love to have seen this on TV..."ripped from the headlines"

[pierceearnest]

04:54 AM on 05/17/2012

They can wait,they have all the time in the world.Keep feeding him laxatives.Evidently this isn't the first time he's done this.After 20 years I would say cut him open.

[missyinSoCal]

01:40 AM on 05/17/2012

This too shall pass.... Wouldn't want to be the officers that have to sift through his poop though...

[Marian Bailey]

11:53 PM on 05/16/2012

Guess they'll have to cut him open, huh! Wonder if he'll think it was worth it?

[maxom]

12:34 AM on 05/17/2012

If it passes....would that be considered a diamond in the roughage??? LOL

[BeachSurfer]

12:59 AM on 05/17/2012

BeachSurfer
Maxon you asked for one of my Poem's
Jesus I am sorry I made You Cry

I passed the Church I could not go in what a hurry I was in. I went to say my Rosary & I remembered I had something else to do!!

As I went to pray I had to make a call. Someone was on my mind. I had no time for the Man who died on the Cross for me. I now sat & cried for what I had done!!

I knew what my sin’s had done to God’s Son. Jesus died on the Cross for You & for Me. Jesus will love us for all eternity!!

Do we not have time for Him are we always in a hurry do we really believe we do not have to worry? I will dry the tear’s in your eyes!!


Oh! Please Jesus do not cry. If we do not stop we will loose for all eternity. God Bless You with Peace Hope & Happiness Jesus Loves you please Love Jesus let him know you Love him!!
Copyright Beach Surfer
All Rigths Reserved!!