EDMONDS, Wash. — For Bill McLeod, Monday morning started out as usual until he went to go on his walk.
"I walk out the door. I go around the corner and I'm like 'Oh my God! Oh my God! Where is the car?'," McLeod said. "The first thing you always see is the back end of that old Chevy because usually it's parked right where it isn't."
McLeod believes someone stole the car off Bell Street near 9th and Main Avenue in Edmonds in the overnight Sunday hours. He had moved it to street parking because some rodents had gotten inside of it where he usually kept it parked. McLeod said he never imagined someone would decide to steal it once it was not in front of his home.
"I hate to say it but you can't be very trusting," McLeod. "Take care of your stuff. Be careful with it."
McLeod estimates it costs him $45,000 to restore the Impala. However, the sentimental value of the car is priceless.
"My first year of marriage, a poor teacher, end of the year. I had enough money to get a car," McLeod said. "We went down, we found the '68 Chevy on a dealer's lot, something I could afford; $1,500, monthly payments of $55."
McLeod says he and his wife Cheri raised their family with that car. He recalls several memories of it while trying to hold back tears.
"It's just been in the family for so long, great stories with it. My dad was helping me move one year," McLeod said. "My daughter used it as a play house. She and her friends would go in there and take imaginary trips."
As the years went by and the family made moves, the car stayed with them. McLeod said he and his wife went back and forth on what to do with it, before deciding to restore their first family car. It was a task they planned to take on together until a cancer diagnosis.
"Cheri was diagnosed with cancer, so I retired in 2015 to do hospice with her," McLeod said. "This car represents her."
Around three years ago, McLeod and his daughter decided to restore the car in Cheri's honor. It was an extensive process, but the labor of love had allowed the car to stay in the family. He knows exactly what his late wife would say about the situation.
"She'd be sick at heart. Yeah, she would be, if it would be possible, even more emotional than I am."
To whoever stole the Chevy Impala, McLeod hopes the individual has a change of heart before trying to chop it up for parts.
"Have a little humanity. Leave it where somebody can find it. Don't destroy it," he said. "If not that, I hope they get caught and the full justice of the law rains down upon them."
Edmond Police are investigating this theft. Commander Josh McClure says two classic cars were stolen in Edmonds. They have recovered one that had significant mechanical issues preventing the thief from taking it far. They're still looking for McLeod's Impala. If you see the car or know where it's located, you can either call 911 or 425-407-3999 to report it to police.