Fifteen years ago, someone stole Mr. and Mrs. Riphagen's gold wedding rings during a party at the couple's home.
The thief, identified only as a "dumb kid who wants to right a wrong," recently returned the rings with a heartfelt and "sincerely regretful" apology letter.
"I recently found these rings while cleaning and I wanted to make sure to return them as I'm sure they were missed dearly," the thief wrote, adding that an online search helped him/her locate the family.
"Again, I am so truly sorry for any pain, heartache that my actions may have caused your family. I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. As an adult I realize how sentimental items like this can be."
The Riphagen's daughter, Margot, posted a photo of the letter on Facebook. The image eventually ended up on Reddit where the handwritten note quickly went viral.
Read the note here.
Margot confirmed the story on Reddit:
"This is my life — this is my story. I am the daughter who had the party. These are my parents. I opened this mail and I guarantee you — this story is real."
She later spoke with the Huffington Post:
"I happened to be home visiting my parents. I was nosing around in their stuff on the counter while I was drinking my morning coffee and stumbled upon it. My mother said, 'You had better sit down.' And I opened it and was shocked, especially because I didn't know the rings earmarked for me and my sister even existed."