A case that has yet to be quacked.

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at approximately 12:15 p.m., 11 rubber ducks were taken from their Tomball home in room 1305.

Diana Martinez, the forensic science teacher at Tomball High School, has been collecting rubber ducks for the past 5 years. What once started out as a single souvenir from a European trip with her husband, Juan (also a teacher at THS) has turned into a lineage of colorful ducks with even more colorful personalities.

“In order to commemorate our trip, I got one duck and everybody signed it,” said Martinez. “I brought it in just because it was nice, and then ducks started appearing.”

Of the missing are:

• Batman
• Batboy
• Bailey the Zombie
• Princess Diana
• Soldier Boy
• Buc Ee’s
• Cake girl
• Flowers
• Theo (a blue monkey)
• Duck Aldridge (a captain duck)
• Ana Tomic Duck (an anatomical female duck figurine)

Her flock has grown to 272 ducks, nearly all of them gifts from students.

Since the first ducknapping, a few ducklings have been returned. However, earlier this school year, a second attempt to steal more had been made with no success. After the recent break-in, Martinez decided to put her things into storage so as to not risk more being stolen.

“There’s no [monetary] value,” she said. “I don’t understand why they took it, and sadly, there is really nothing we can do.”

No visible prints or DNA had been left behind at the scene, and no ransom note has yet been received by Martinez.

Despite the poultry pilfering, Martinez has no plans to stop. And next semester, when she no longer has to share her classroom with other teachers and their classes, the ducks will migrate back to the classroom and once again be on display.

As of right now, no suspects have been identified. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these rubber ducks, please stop by room 1305, located in the science hallway.

If you are in possession of any of her rubber ducks, you are strongly encouraged to come forward and return them, with no questions asked.

And of course, students are always welcome to bring their own addition, and become a permanent part of Martinez’s flock.