Oregon Police Recover Pickup Stolen in 1986

The Oregon State Police recovered a pickup stolen almost 22 years ago.

Lt. Greg Hastings says a man brought a 1977 Chevrolet pickup to the OSP Portland office for a vehicle identification number inspection.

Senior Trooper Terry Schuler couldn’t find a VIN in a normal location but discovered one in a secondary, confidential spot.

Schuler asked the National Insurance Crime Bureau to check archived files, and the bureau found a report prepared by the Salem Police Department.

The Salem department confirmed that the pickup had been reported stolen October 30, 1986.

The man who brought the vehicle to the office says he has owned the pickup for two years.

The pickup is being held until it can be returned to its current legal owner, Farmers Insurance.

This is the second oldest known recovery of a stolen vehicle brought in for a VIN inspection. The oldest had been stolen 26 years earlier.