For years, the man stealing men's shoes from homes in Newark, Delaware, had gone undetected. Many people never reported the break-ins, and police didn't notice a pattern that seems obvious in hindsight -- the break-ins all occurred near a college campus, targeted mostly students and the only thing missing were men's shoes and pictures of men.

Now, after five houses were hit over Christmas, police in Newark have put the pieces of the puzzle together and are now investigating dozens of break-ins involving the theft of more than 200 pairs of shoes.

And this week, someone found three duffel bags with 200 wet and soggy shoes in a creek in Elkton. In Wednesday's Crime Scene column, I'll explore this case further. Here are some pictures of the shoes supplied by the Newark Police Department.

They are asking anyone with information to contact Det. Fred Nelson at 302-366-7110, ext. 136. Who knows, given the shoes apparently linked to this case were found in Elkton, maybe there's a Maryland connection?