bitflipper
New development. I think I know who robbed me.
It was the neighbors. My stuff may be in their house right now but there is nothing I can do. We found their exit path, over the back fence and straight to their house. Had the cops back and showed them the footprints and new gash on the wood fence top. All they can do is look up the address and see if there are known baddies living there. They did not answer the door when I knocked this morning, even though there were lights an TV on inside.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but retribution WILL be mine.

 
You need a Hockey mask....and a machete....   wait for them to come home..... step out in front of them and simply say..... "I want my musical gear back.... we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. "

Of course, you better be really sure they have it and took it....and that they don't have a concealed carry permit..... or you could end up dead or in jail.....
 
Just thought I'd throw that out as another possible option for you to consider.

Of course I disavow ever having said anything of the sort should you attempt this and it goes badly.
 
 
Edit: but if it works.... imagine the stories you could tell....
 
 
 

I would have thought tracks and a scuff mark on the fence would be grounds for a search warrant?

I would have, too.

Guitarhacker

bitflipper
New development. I think I know who robbed me.
It was the neighbors. My stuff may be in their house right now but there is nothing I can do. We found their exit path, over the back fence and straight to their house. Had the cops back and showed them the footprints and new gash on the wood fence top. All they can do is look up the address and see if there are known baddies living there. They did not answer the door when I knocked this morning, even though there were lights an TV on inside.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but retribution WILL be mine.

 
You need a Hockey mask....and a machete....   wait for them to come home..... step out in front of them and simply say..... "I want my musical gear back.... we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. "

Of course, you better be really sure they have it and took it....and that they don't have a concealed carry permit..... or you could end up dead or in jail.....
 
Just thought I'd throw that out as another possible option for you to consider.

Of course I disavow ever having said anything of the sort should you attempt this and it goes badly.
 
 
Edit: but if it works.... imagine the stories you could tell....

 

 

Just now reading this and it makes me sick. Sick because of what happened, and sick because of what didn't happen. Man I hope things work out.

Not being Canadian, I'm not sure where to even buy a hockey mask in my town. But yeah, I think I'll keep an eye out for one. I already own a machete.
 
Prior to that suggestion, my leading idea was placing a sign in my yard facing that house, which reads "I know who you are and I know what you did". Or maybe just "I know where you live".

How about "Crime doesn't pay..."?
 
Of course, you could steal the stuff back.  What are they going to do?  Report it? 

wow. So sorry to hear Dave. That is akin to someone ripping your heart right out of your chest. 
This is beyond terrible. I don't know what to say really.
I sure hope you get retribution.

bitflipper
Not being Canadian, I'm not sure where to even buy a hockey mask in my town. But yeah, I think I'll keep an eye out for one. I already own a machete.
 
Prior to that suggestion, my leading idea was placing a sign in my yard facing that house, which reads "I know who you are and I know what you did". Or maybe just "I know where you live".

Heh. Years ago I used to keep an insane amount of cash in a lockbox hidden in my apartment. I was so paranoid about someone finding it that I put an angrily scrawled note in there saying "I'M WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE." In the end I just put the damn stuff in the bank. 
 
On a serious note however, maybe you could try putting a sign up saying that you know who did it and that if they would just return the drives intact, no further action will be taken? There is always the small chance that whomever has those drives has fired them up, seen what an insane amount of work there is on them, imagined themselves in the same boat (I know, it's a long shot that they have ever done anything worthwhile with their lives and can relate to losing work) and are currently feeling a little crappy and toying with the idea of getting them back to you somehow? Stranger things have happened. 
 
The other alternative, if you are more than 50% sure it was your neighbors, would be to wait for them to go out and then stick an unsigned note through (or on) their door saying that you know they ripped you off and that you would rather not involve the police but that you have video of them doing it and that if they return the gear in full then nothing will come of it. Either they will have no idea what you're talking about and no idea who you are, or they will know exactly what you're talking about and start seriously weighing up their alternatives. In that case, if they have any brains then they'll give you back your stuff. 

Been thinking about this and I've revised what I would consider the preferred plan of attack.
 
Find a way to steal back ONLY your backup hard drives then have your insurance buy you all new gear.