A Guilty Conscience Needs No Accuser

Published March 19, 2013 at 7:31 AM EDT

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.

A guilty conscience needs no accuser. The Barry County Sheriff's Department in Michigan received $1,200 in cash yesterday with an emotional letter. The writer admitted stealing $800 from a convenience store some 30 years ago; writing, quote, "I can't begin to say how sorry I am, but have lived with this guilt too long."

A noble gesture but keeping up with inflation, the robber would technically owe another $600.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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