The mystery of two urns found on the porch of a vacant home on Virginia Avenue took Butler County officials across the country, then back again.

Arthur "Larry" Johnson, 53, of Liberty Street, who lives only blocks from where the urns were discovered last fall, on Wednesday retrieved the urns which contain the cremated remains of his parents, Charles and Jean Johnson of West Sacramento, Calif.

"I'm relieved to know these have been returned to loving family," said Butler County Coroner William Young III, who has been searching for months for the Johnson's next of kin.

Johnson, who believes his parents' urns were stolen from his own front porch, had no idea where they had been in recent months.

"This is a tragedy," he said. "I should have filed a police report, but I did not."

He kept his parents' ashes for several years and then later moved to Butler to be near friends.

Last fall a friend of his sent the two urns to Johnson without his knowledge. They were reportedly stolen from Johnson's home here.