California woman travelling with father’s ashes for his last wish makes brief pit stop in New Mexico – wakes to find the urn gone

Tammy Blevins was traveling from California to Colorado with her father’s ashes in her car. Her plan was to bury him beside his wife, honoring what she said had always been his final wish. But during an overnight stop in New Mexico, thieves broke into her vehicle and stole the urn. Now, Blevins says she only wants one thing back: her father’s ashes.

According to People, Blevins stopped for the night at a Best Western off Interstate 25 in Albuquerque before continuing her trip the next morning. She decided not to unpack her belongings, expecting to get an early start the following day. Instead, she woke up to find her car had been broken into.

She acknowledged her mistake

Someone had smashed the windows and ransacked the vehicle, taking whatever valuables they could find. Among the stolen items was an urn containing the ashes of her late father, Charles Landrum.

Blevins has acknowledged that leaving valuables in the car was a mistake. “I know you’re not supposed to leave valuables in your vehicle,” she said. “And I take full ownership of that — that we did not take those items out — but I would have never thought that somebody would do that. And so, I will own that for the rest of my life.”

She filed a report with the Albuquerque Police Department but says she has received little information about the investigation. The lack of updates has only added to her anxiety. “I don’t understand why they don’t call people back,” she said. “Even if you don’t have any information on this, you’d think they’d at least call.”

Blevins says recovering the urn is her only real priority. Everything else that was stolen can be replaced. Since her story began circulating in Albuquerque, she says local residents have reached out to offer help and support, whether by sharing information or simply checking in on her.

Landrum lived to be 95 years old. During his life, he served as a cryptologist in the U.S. Navy before later becoming a teacher. Blevins had placed his ashes in an urn shaped like a cowboy boot and was also transporting several of the military medals he earned during his service.

Blevins has made it clear that she is not interested in punishment or confrontation if the thieves still have the urn. She simply wants her father’s ashes returned so she can fulfill his final wish and lay him to rest beside his wife. For her, the stolen valuables are secondary. The urn represents something that cannot be replaced — a final goodbye she is still hoping to give.

She’s making a direct plea

Having exhausted the avenues available to her, Blevins has now made a direct public plea to whoever has the urn, asking them to find a way to return it. She says she has run out of options and believes appealing to the thieves’ conscience may be her last chance.

For now, she remains in Albuquerque, hoping someone comes forward with answers. But she also knows she can’t stay there indefinitely. Reflecting on the possibility of leaving without her father’s ashes, she said, “It’s gonna be hard to leave without him.”