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Louie The Clown Recovered

WPD I Facebook

An organ-playing clown lost for nearly a decade was found and was presented to citizens Thursday by the Wichita Police Department. KMUW's Aileen LeBlanc reports...

Louie is an animated ceramic close-to-life-size clown, who played a Wurlitzer organ at the old Joyland theme park in Wichita for many years.

The clown represented happy days and nightmarish memories for children of all ages.

Joyland closed in 2004, and in 2005 or 2006, Louie went missing.

On Thursday, Louie was brought back to the people who missed and didn't miss him.

He was found in the home of 39-year-old Damian Mayes, who is currently serving prison time for child sex offenses.

Mayes, who has been accused of stealing the clown, was a worker at the amusement park for many years, he built and  repaired organs.

Police say that the nearly 50-year-old clown is worth about $10,000.

The Joyland sign and Ferris wheel have been saved, but it's not clear what Louie will be doing next.

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