By John Howell Sr.

A series of December house burglaries in eastern Panola County left few clues and little other information for investigating officers.

Similarities in the Panola County burglaries and burglaries in Lafayette County have led the officers to believe that they were committed by the same people. Panola Deputy Sheriff Carlton Hays III has selected the burglaries to feature as Crime Stoppers’ Crime of the Week.

On Thursday, December 16, burglars forced their way into the front door of a home in the 1900 block of Central Academy Road. Missing when homeowners returned was a Sony Bravia 46-inch, flat screen TV, a Wii system and 20 Wii games plus the Wii’s controller, Hays said.

The next day, December 17, burglars struck a home in the 200 block of Cline Road. They forced the front door open and took a 42-inch television and an unknown number of DVDs.

That same day, December 17, forcing the front door was also the method of entry used at a home in the 1900 block of Orwood Road. From the home thieves stole two Marlin .30-.30 rifles with scopes, a 1947 Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge, bolt action shotgun, a .22/.410 rifle/shotgun combination, a 20 gauge shotgun, a 32-inch Pan Viera LCD flat screen TV and wall mount, approximately 15 X-Box 360 and Nintendo games, a white gold wedding set, an exterior metal door and three smooth interior doors, a Wii System and $1,200 cash.

Anyone who remembers seeing anything that investigators might find useful — even if it seems trivial — is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-729-2169.

People who call Crime Stoppers do not have to give their name. The caller is given an identification number. If the information leads to an arrest, the person providing the information will receive a cash reward through the assigned identification number.

Crime Stoppers of North Central Mississippi is affiliated with the international Crime Stoppers organization. It offers cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests for crime.

The sheriff’s department and the Batesville Police Department are still seeking information on crimes featured in previous weeks: the November-December, 2010 thefts and vandalism in the Pine Lake Drive area in eastern Panola County and the burglary of King’s Grill, 104 Wood Street during the Feb. 12-13 weekend.

“It’s not limited to one crime,” Panola Deputy Sheriff and Crime Stoppers coordinator Carlton Hays III said. “It could be anything, even a crime we don’t know about.”

The number is 1-800-729-2169.