WATERVILLE – Police are investigating the possible theft of four rings valued at more than $20,000 from Mount St. Joseph nursing home.

The jewelry was reported missing by relatives of nursing home patients in two separate incidents on two floors at the nursing home, said Waterville police Detective David Caron.

The first incident was reported Feb. 4 by Fritz Bushmann, whose mother, Elizabeth, is a patient at the nursing home and who is missing a ring worth about $15,000, according to Caron. Bushmann told police he saw the ring the night before when he was at the nursing home.

“It’s a lady’s six-pronged Tiffany set platinum crown with 14-karat yellow gold mounting with four round diamonds, in a wrap,” Caron said.

The second case was reported Feb. 18 by John Redman, whose wife, Lydia, is at the home and is missing three rings, Caron said. He said Redman believes he last saw them on her hand the night of Feb. 16.

One ring is an anniversary ring with five diamonds and valued at about $2,500. A second is a solitary diamond ring, also valued at about $2,500. The third is a gold wedding band valued at about $100, Caron said.

Redman, who is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the rings, said his wife has worn the engagement ring for 55 years.

“That’s part of her,” he said. “You wear it for 55 years, it becomes part of your persona. I feel that somebody knows where they [rings] are.”

There are no suspects in the case, and nursing home officials have given police lists of people working there, including those who have access to both Redman’s and Bushmann’s rooms, Caron said. He said the facility is not a completely secure one.

Friends, family and businesspeople are allowed into the building after speaking with a receptionist and signing in. He added that police are not ruling out the possibility that the rings were misplaced.

Thefts at nursing homes are not a new problem.

In June 2003, an 18-year-old Brewer woman was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing expensive rings off the fingers of elderly patients at a Portland nursing home.