
Statue of young F. Scott Fitzgerald stolen from St. Paul, police say
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A statue of one of St. Paul's most famous sons was stolen from the capital city earlier this month, police say.
The statue of a young F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of high school English class staple "The Great Gatsby" among other works, sat outside 25 Dale Street North, the former site of a school that he attended.
A St. Paul Police Department spokesperson said the statue was reported missing Friday but may have been stolen as early as Feb. 3.
Police believe someone cut the statue free. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call 651-291-1111.
Fitzgerald was born on Laurel Avenue in St. Paul on Sept. 24, 1896, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. He attended St. Paul Academy, which once sat where the stolen statue resided. Though he spent much of his life in New York, Paris and Hollywood, Fitzgerald did return to St. Paul with his wife Zelda and finished his first novel, "This Side of Paradise," in his home city.
The historical society said Fitzgerald's upbringing in the wealthy Summit Avenue area of St. Paul greatly impacted his later life.
"Fitzgerald's experiences with St. Paul's elite profoundly influenced his life," the historical society said. "He loved, and loathed, the life of wealth. He desperately sought acceptance from elites, but also recognized the emptiness of their lives."
According to CCI Properties, which manages 25 Dale Street North, the statue was created by artist Arron Dysart and put up in 2006.
The plaque that accompanies the statue reads: "F. Scott Fitzgerald attended school here at the St. Paul Academy from 1908 to 1911 where he published some his first short stories in the school magazine Now and Then and penned his first plays."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Miami Herald
35 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
‘Brazen' 688-year-old murder of medieval priest solved. ‘Thirst for vengeance'
In 1337, a priest named John Forde walked down a busy street in London where he was ambushed and killed in broad daylight as crowds milled about. Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge have solved the brazen murder, believed to have been carried out at the request of Ela Fitzpayne, an English noblewoman with a 'thirst for revenge,' according to a study published June 6 in the peer-reviewed journal Criminal Law Forum. Researchers called Westcheap, where Forde was killed, London's 'commercial and ceremonial heart.' It was also 'London's most prominent homicide hotspot,' researchers said, adding that Forde's killing ranks among 'one of the most extraordinary events' to take place there. On May 3, 1337, Forde ran into a fellow priest who 'distracted' him with friendly conversation before four men, all with connections to Ela Fitzpayne, attacked him, according to a June 5 news release from the University of Cambridge. One slit his throat with 12-inch dagger and two others stabbed him 'in the belly with long fighting knives,' according to the study. Researchers said Forde's murder was instigated Fitzpayne who had been publicly denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury for having 'sexual affairs 'with knights and others, single and married, and even with clerics in holy orders,'' including Forde, while she was married, according to the study. Forde's complicated connections to Fitzpayne Records suggest Forde, who was also accused of being in a gang with Fitzpayne and her husband, may have been the one to inform the archbishop of her dalliances, experts said. Forde 'went from being in Ela Fitzpayne's crime gang and possibly her bed, to a player in her denouncement,' according to the release. 'The archbishop imposed heavy, shameful public penance on Ela, which she seems not to have complied with, but may have sparked a thirst for vengeance,' researcher Manuel Eisner said, per the release. 'Not least as John Forde appears to have escaped punishment by the church.' In an effort to 'publicly humiliate' Fitzpayne for her supposed affairs, she was ordered to take 'barefoot walks of shame across Salisbury Cathedral,' and pay large sums of money to the clergy and the poor, experts said. Experts said 'the brutal show of strength' on Westcheap that day may have served to remind 'the clergy of the power of the nobility, and that Ela Fitzpayne doesn't forget or forgive,' according to the news release. 'A woman in 14th century England who raided priories, openly defied the Archbishop of Canterbury, and planned the assassination of a priest,' Eisner said, summing up Fitzpayne's legacy. 'Ela Fitzpayne appears to have been many things, including an extraordinary person,' he said. Ford's was one of 355 unsolved homicides documented by the Medieval Murder Maps project — a database created by the University of Cambridge that visualizes spatial patterns of 14th-century killings in London, Oxford and York, according to the study. The Cambridge news release and the Medieval Murder Maps project lists the year of Forde's killing as 1337, while the study says it occurred in 1336.


American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
Pic: Missing American-Israeli couple's bodies recovered from Hamas terrorists
Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Thursday that the bodies of an American-Israeli couple murdered by Hamas during the terrorist organization's attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, were recovered as part of a special military operation in Gaza. In a Thursday post on X, formerly Twitter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, 'In a special operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of two of our abductees who were being held by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas were returned to Israel: Judy Weinstein-Hagi and Gadi Hagi from Kibbutz Nir Oz, may their memory be blessed.' The Israeli prime minister explained that the American-Israeli couple had been murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization in October of 2023 and that their bodies had been abducted by the terrorists and held hostage in the Gaza Strip prior to this week's special military operation. 'Judy and Gadi were murdered on October 7th and kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. The heart grieves for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,' Netanyahu added. 'I would like to thank and honor the fighters and commanders for their determined and successful execution. We will not rest or be silent until we bring all our captives home – the living and the dead alike.' READ MORE: Video/Pic: Last living American hostage released by Hamas According to Fox News, the two American-Israeli citizens were killed while walking on the morning of October 7, 2023, in the Hamas terrorist attack that led to the death of roughly 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 individuals. Israel Defense Forces shared a picture of Judi and Gad Haggai on social media, noting that the two American-Israeli citizens were 'beloved parents, grandparents, and members of Kibbutz Nir Oz.' 'They were held hostage for 608 days by terrorists in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, while taking their daily morning walk around the kibbutz, they were murdered and abducted,' Israel Defense Forces stated. 'Judi, a devoted special education English teacher and caregiver, and Gad, a kibbutz cook, were known for their love for their community.' In Thursday's posts, Israel Defense Forces pledged to continue operations until the remaining 56 Hamas hostages are returned. Judi and Gad Haggai were beloved parents, grandparents, and members of Kibbutz Nir Oz. They were held hostage for 608 days by terrorists in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, while taking their daily morning walk around the kibbutz, they were murdered and abducted. Judi, a devoted… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 5, 2025
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Woman reported missing in St. Johns County
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is looking for a woman who has been reported missing. Marite Leitane, 76, was last seen Sunday night. She went out for a bike ride and never returned, the sheriff's office said Monday morning. 'Leitane left behind her cell phone, debit card, and didn't take a water bottle with her,' a sheriff's office social media post states. 'She does not speak English.' Leitane was last seen wearing a pink shirt and black leggings. She was riding a white European race bike that has blue lettering. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call St. Johns County Sheriff's Office at (904) 824-8304, or email crimetips@ >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.