Stolen Guitars Return Home To Late Tulsa Man's Family

A Tulsa woman was grieving the death of her husband when thieves broke into her home and stole his guitar collection.

Last night, in our story, Herlinda Baldwin made a heartfelt plea to the community, hoping the guitars would be returned. Her plea was answered.

12/29/2014 Related Story: Tulsa Woman: Thieves Stole More Than Guitars, Took Husband's Spirit

Guitar strings were the key to Ken Baldwin's happiness; playing rock & roll and blues, and later in life, songs of worship.

His spirit lives on in the guitars - worth $50,000 in all - but on November 4th, three months to the day he passed, someone stole them from his widow.

"I mean, we were together through a lot. We've been through a lot," Baldwin said.

The guitars were also there along the way; that's why, when she got a call from Broken Arrow police, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

"Thank you Lord, Jesus! Thank You, thank You for all Your blessings," she shouted.

Sergeant Scott Lillard carried the guitars inside, handling them like a carton of eggs.

“Two of them are signed by Clapton, so yeah, it's, we didn't want to pile them all in. We knew we had some values there, obviously," he said.

Baldwin said, "I never felt that they wouldn't come back home. I just had a feeling that, you know, God was worshiped with these instruments."

She said, the Lord brought the guitars home, and restored her faith in humanity; even warming the heart of a hardened police officer.

"For me, my heart exploded," Lillard said.

This isn't where the journey ends for the guitars. Ken's passion will now be passed down to his grandkids.

"I have some joy. Joy is different than happiness, and right now I feel joy. I haven't felt that in a long time," Baldwin said with a smile.

Police do have leads on a suspect, but have not made any arrests.

Baldwin said she feels like part of Ken returned home.