CLINTON – What began as a theft investigation into two missing benches in East Feliciana Parish, turned out to be a misunderstanding.

The two missing benches were supposed to sit in front of the East Feliciana law enforcement memorial that is located in the back of the Clinton courthouse. The benches were donated about two years ago for a memorial honoring officers who were killed in the line of duty.

The Clinton Police chief said that the donor filed a police report after he discovered that the benches were no longer there.

"They are probably somewhere in the parish. We'll just have to track them down and find them. It could be in the police jury storage building, it could be anywhere," Clinton Police Chief Frederick Dunn said.

Turns out the storage building is exactly where they were.

"Mr. Sobers contacted me sometime back and asked me if I was aware of the benches that was donated during the local law enforcement memorial. At the time, I was not the parish manager, I was not aware of any benches, but he said that Mr. Hicks had the benches and would secure them for them after the memorial," Barbara Veil, manager of the East Feliciana police jury, said.

Veil said that a parish employee secured the benches in storage until they could be properly installed into the ground.

"So we contacted Mr. Hicks, he said the benches were secured at the parish and at the time the employee who had them secured here was not working. He was off due to the flood, he was injured and had been off--just this morning he came in I asked him about the benches. He assured me that they are here and they are secured at the parish," Veil said.

According to the parish manager, the benches will be installed and placed in front of the memorial soon.