Must be journalism school graduates
Much has been made about the laptop with the veteran's information on it. Somebody who actually stole a laptop would, under normal circumstances, wipe the disk for their own use. Unless someone pointed out that the data was important, of course. Cue the hundreds of news stories on the "critical information in the laptop."
I wish I had a nickel for every time I've heard on the nationally-broadcast radio news something along the lines of "It is uncertain whether or not the thief knows what he's got."