The theft comes one week before the Tupelo Elvis Fest, an annual event for fans and tribute artists to celebrate the life and music of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, is set to kick off on June 9.
And this isn't the first time the sign has been vandalized. Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace, said all of the lettering was stolen from the sign around three months ago. It cost about $3,200 to replace it that time, but he's not sure exactly how much it will cost to replace Elvis' name.
Guyton said this particular case of vandalism is the first of its kind for the local tourist attraction. "Over the years, we've had small amounts of vandalism, but nothing of this manner," Guyton said. "And we just want to try to stop any future vandalism as fast as we can."
The sign is on Elvis Presley Drive, a public street, so the Birthplace has no surveillance cameras placed there. "We hope that somebody will come forward and let us know who's doing this stuff so we can get some restitution from them," Guyton said.
(Source: Daily Journal)