Woman reunited with stolen yearbook 9 years later

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    ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KOAT) — A woman found a high school yearbook in her front yard, but she had no idea who it belonged to.

Back in August, the staff at Rio Grande High School got the yearbook along with a note in the mail from the woman who found it.

Leslie Jackson, the activities director of the school, quickly began looking at records and speaking to staff to find out whose yearbook it was.

“The person who dropped the yearbook off had flagged some names, but they didn’t have last names,” said Jackson. “As luck would have it, one of her teachers actually signed it with her full name, so once I saw her last name, I knew I had a match. It was just a matter of finding her.”

The yearbook belonged to Analisa Brill, a graduate of the class of 2006. Nine years ago, her yearbook, along with all of her other belongings had been stolen from her home.

“I was heartbroken,” said Brill. “I was really upset about it.”

After giving up on finding the yearbook, one morning Analisa woke up to a Facebook message from Jackson saying she had the book.

“I was in shock, really. I didn’t think I would ever get this one,” said Brill.

And this yearbook wasn’t just any yearbook.

“Nine years later, to get my senior year book, and that one I think is more important than other ones because it’s your senior year,” Brill said.

And after years of waiting, and a little back and forth on Facebook, Brill went back to her old stomping grounds, to get back her senior yearbook.

It’s a moment she said still leaves her in awe.

“The craziest things can happen. There are good people. There are still really good people out there that think in their minds this could mean something to somebody,” Brill said. “Honestly, I’m just happy to at least have this back.”

Over the years, Brill was eventually reunited with her other yearbooks, but this is the special one that she just never located until recently. Brill wants to thank the woman who found it in her yard.

Jackson said they’ve shared this story with many of their current students, and it’s helped bring a lot of raven pride back to the community.

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