Stolen “Handsome Gene” statue returned to Stanchfield business, one suspect in custody

A statue made to honor veterans was stolen from a Stanchfield business, sparking a search for “Handsome Gene” and the three suspects who stole him.

“I can’t believe someone would do something like this.”

That was the statement made Saturday by the Rush Point store in Stanchfield when they found their statue, which honors the United States’ veterans, had been stolen.

140 years old, the Rush Point Store has been a staple of the Stanchfield community for over a century, providing gasoline, live bait, liquor, groceries and snacks to the 103 people who call the AREA home.

In front of the Rush Point Store is a statue of a veteran, affectionately known as “Handsome Gene” by the store’s owners. The statue was a gift made several years ago by the previous owners’ father — whose name was Gene.

“Gene passed away several years ago,” the Rush P...