Police in Ontario, Canada say they will hold a man who allegedly swallowed a $20,000 diamond for as long as it takes for him to produce the evidence.
It has been nearly a week since Richard Mackenzie Matthews, 52, is alleged to have switched a diamond at Precision Jewellers and swallowed the real one.
Matthews has been held at police headquarters while they wait for the 1.7-carat stone to pass through his system.
Sgt. Brett Corey said Thursday that Matthews has gone to the washroom numerous times, but the diamond hasn't passed.
Corey says a recent X-ray showed a pair of fake diamonds, or cubic zirconiums, stuck in the man's intestines but because a diamond is translucent, it isn't visible.
He says the suspect is eager to get the ordeal over with and is co-operating. In the early stages, Corey says Matthews was being given laxative type foods, but is now being fed whatever he wants, in an effort to get things moving.
Matthews is charged with theft and breach of court conditions, and is also wanted on warrants in Toronto.
“We’re still waiting him out, but at this point, we don’t have anything to show for it,” Corey told the Toronto Sun.
The Windsor Star newspaper said the grim task could not be forced on a rookie detective.
“It’s not like a hazing or ‘you’re the junior guy, in you go,’” Deputy Chief Jerome Brannagan told the newspaper. "Whoever is involved in that has to be somebody who is qualified to give evidence in court. They’re going to have to articulate what happened, how it happened, how they recovered it. The chain of evidence has to be maintained.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A week & it hasn't shown? Time for a colonoscopy. Hey, we're talking $20K here. Seriously, give him a Fleet's & wash it out.
Ha, a "Brown Diamond".
GROSS!!
I had never heard before that a diamond won't show up on xray or any other scanning image. Interesting.
A true diamond doesn't absorb xrays. That's one way to tell it from imitations (cubic zirconia).
I feel sorry for the cops. It's a $hitty job, but someone has to do it.
Just imagine the woman, who ends up wearing that as her engagement ring. I wonder if they will tell them the back(side) story?
Sure hope if they use a fan to make matters more bearable during evidence time that the $hit don't hit that fan! lol
Stinky job to have to do and wouldn't want to have to show video to any jurors...
Talk about a diamond in the rough... :P
Chain of custody: his ass to my hand, your honor.
He's just greedy and won't give it up. Maybe they can hire some really small divers to go in there.
Is this what one would call a diamond in the ruff? Just get the Santoku out and dig in.....
Now this man is not complaining about IBS (irritible bowel syndrom), but worrying instead about IBM (irritable bowel movement)
It's taking so long because,
"A diamond is forever"
This could start a whole new fad. People are paying big bucks for those coffee beans pooped out by civets. Debeers can raise the price of diamonds pooped out by people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak
Obviously a "diamond in the Poop"
I don't get it - Canada has free medical care, why don't they just cut him open?
if theyr'e lucky and recover the diamond,who's ever going to want to wear it ?
I am laughing hysterically- after all the bad, sad news this is downright funny! The comments are even funnier.
Show her you care, get her the Poo diamond on sale today