[MSN] AUSTIN - Two men have been charged with stealing music memorabilia that once belonged to late blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan from his brother's storage unit, police said.

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June 19, 2007, 2:29PM
Men charged in theft of Stevie Ray Vaughan memorabilia 

AUSTIN - Two men have been charged with stealing music memorabilia that once
belonged to late blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan from his brother's
storage unit, police said.

Police have recovered several items they believe were Vaughan's, including
movie screenplays, handwritten song lyrics, photographs of Vaughan with
other musicians, guitar pick guards, unused concert tickets and backstage
passes, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police said several hundred thousand dollars worth of items are still
missing, including six guitars and other items.

Jimmie Vaughan's manager, Cory Moore, said the missing guitars belong to
Jimmie.

"I can assure you that all of Stevie's guitars are in safekeeping," Moore
said.

Police have charged Michael Shane Winders, 37, and James Matthew Malone, 29,
with theft, a second-degree felony. Both have warrants for their arrest but
haven't been picked up as of Tuesday afternoon, Austin police spokesman Toni
Chovonetz said. Bail had been set at $100,000 for Winders and $132,000 for
Malone. Information on the men's attorneys was not available early Tuesday.

According to the affidavit, police arrested Malone at a hotel in April on
suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. Police found items in the
room they believed to belong to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Jimmie Vaughan reported several days later that his storage unit had been
ransacked twice in the preceding weeks. Jimmie Vaughan identified the stolen
merchandise at a police warehouse, the affidavit said.

In the affidavit, police said Malone and Winders tried to sell some of the
material to an auction house in Dallas.

Doug Norwine, director of music memorabilia for Heritage Auction Galleries
in Dallas, said he was approached by two men in May about selling some
Vaughan memorabilia, including the handwritten lyrics to the song "Pride and
Joy."

"When the items were in our possession, using due diligence, we contacted
Craig Hopkins of the Stevie Ray Vaughan Museum, who said the items were
authentic," Norwine said.

Norwine said Hopkins notified Jimmie Vaughan, and the auction house learned
about the Austin break-in. Norwine contacted Austin police, and the auction
house turned the items over to police earlier this month.

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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com

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