On the evening of December 8, 1977, George A. Hardy, 67, was at home in Thornton, Colorado, with his wife and young granddaughter when two armed men wearing ski masks forced their way in. The intruders demanded access to Hardy’s coin collection and ransacked the house. Hardy, a retired truck driver and avid coin collector, struck one assailant with a stool in an attempt to protect his family and was shot during the struggle. The attackers fled and have never been publicly identified or arrested.

Investigators have continued to seek leads and the case remains unsolved; Hardy is remembered in local records and cemetery rolls noting his death that night. If anyone has information about the break-in or the two masked men, please contact the Thornton Police Department.