Maybe the wife's ex had other plans for that shotgun. Reminds me of when I was dating my ex wife, (over 40 years ago) I had lent her a colt trooper for protection. Then I broke up with her and thought I would let things cool down before I went back for it. I got a message from a common friend to notify the sheriffs dept her place was broken in and it was stolen! Later a detective called me to come and get it as he took it off someone that had shot it over his disgruntled girl friend or wife's head in some argument. The guy claimed he didn't steal the gun but bought it. The funny thing was later the detective retired and came and worked with me as a guard. Still later the guy that did the shooting also worked where I did but in the factory. I got to know him slightly. Still later he got 86`ed out of a bar, went home and got a shotgun, went back to the bar and demanded a drink with the shotgun over his shoulder! The bar tenders boy friend walked in to pick her up at closing and the drunk fool supposedly shot the guy with the gun over his shoulder without even looking or turning around, killing the boy friend! Unbelievably a year or two later the same guy come through my post! I closely checked him out and asked him how the hell he got out? He gave me a story of legalities how he got off and was thankful the company hired him back! He didn't last long though and soon died of something else. That trooper got around. Way back I had another close friend that had some major trouble with a couple guys. They had threatened him as one had tried to (or did) molest his daughter. The case was pending. I lent him the trooper, he went home from work about 01:00. There was something blocking his driveway. He thought it suspicious so came out of his car with the trooper in his hand to move the object to pull his car in. The two guys thought they would jump him and it didn't work out for them. He didn't shoot them but it did escalate things with the case. That's another long story. I ended up selling the trooper as I now had a python but now wish I had kept it. I also once shot a buck with that gun. Used to carry it on the job too.