Turkey theft brought Thanksgiving Day trouble for small business in Alabama

SALEM, Al (WRBL) – Thirteen turkeys were stolen from Backwater BBQ in Salem, Alabama, between the hours of 7:00 P.M. and 10:30 P.M. on Thanksgiving Day-eve.

“After I got through crying, I got angry. I got very angry. I’m a simple man, I live by a simple code, and part of that code is you take care of family. They stole from my family,” says Wayne Wommack, co-owner of Backwater BBQ.

Every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Wayne Wommack and Judy Kempft prepare meals for veterans and first responders as a way to give back to their community and these turkeys were being smoked for that specifically.

“So many people do things before they think about what they’re doing and if they would just take a pause… It’s Thanksgiving… he would have given it to them,” says Dana Espositio from Operation Iron Ruck.

When word got out about this horrific act, their community showed up big. Some stores even stayed open after closing so they could purchase more turkeys and donations poured in for them to do so.

“God’s got His hand in this somewhere. Something good is going to come from today,” says Wommack.

If anyone has any information about the turkey thieves, people are encouraged to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Wommack and Kempf are worried about the financial setback this could bring to their business and in their efforts to continue to give back. Community members interested in giving to Backwater BBQ can do so here.