Draper man looking for stolen journal containing 'irreplaceable' writings

Draper man looking for stolen journal containing 'irreplaceable' writings

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DRAPER — When Matt Allen went to get in his car in Draper Dec. 30, he was devastated to find someone had broken in and stolen something irreplaceable off the front seat.

Allen said he has spent the last two years of his life dealing with horrible addiction problems. He started a journal after he was released from rehab. He wrote poetry and a piece of fiction in the leather-bound book he said is extremely important to him.

That journal, it appears, was stolen off the front seat of his car.

“I’m pretty sure the car was unlocked as I usually don’t keep a whole lot in my car,” Allen said, “This was the one time I left my journal in there. My journal usually never leaves my side.”

Allen said he was surprised nothing else was taken out of the car, but he is devastated the journal is missing.

“You could take anything I own, but nothing could crush me more than this.”

Allen had been working on writing a story down in his journal. He has spent the last four months constructing the piece and said there’s no way he can rewrite it all from memory.


You could take anything I own, but nothing could crush me more than this.

–Matt Allen


“The story was a very important part of my sobriety, something I could look back on from years from now and reflect on where I was,” Allen said. “I would give anything to have this journal back. It is an extremely huge part of my life and future that cannot be replaced.”

Allen decided not to file a police report because, as he says, the journal isn’t of much worth to anyone but him.

“I didn’t want to waste the time or money of the police for something most people wouldn’t understand the importance of,” Allen said.

The journal is leather-bound, black and has a copper-colored button on a wrap-around latch.

Allen is offering a $100 reward for the return of his journal. If anyone has information on the location of his book, email rgarfield@ksl.com.

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Robynn Garfield

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