Brother In Law Removed Weapons From My Property

Location: Virginia

My husband died in April 2025 without a will. He was an employee of a well known gun company, and had numerous rifles, shotguns and handguns. These weapons were stored in a gun safe on my property.

My brother in law lives in my home (which was a huge issue between my husband and I). Immediately after my husband's death, he told me that my husband told him that if something happened to him (my husband), the guns were his (brother in law). This is not in writing. I had initially told him that he could sell a few guns to finance his move, but that was it. Additionally, my brother in law refused to to give me the gun safe combination. I now have that combination. He has been a complete jerk about this, because legally I own these weapons.

I opened the gun safe and it's empty. When I confronted him about it, he told me he removed the guns from my property and has secured them in another location. He has refused to tell me where they are.

Is this considered theft even though I told him he could sell a few to finance his move? He never approached me about selling them. I have read that I have to report this theft within 48 hours to my local police department.

I'm worried about the legal issues that may face me when I go to the police. My BIL is an ignorant, irrational person. I would be in fear for my life after I tell the police, because he is still living in my house.

The fact that he won't get out of my house is another issue. He has bought a panel van that he is supposedly converting to live in it. I will admit I've been passive about this because and I don't know what he's likely to do when I press the issue.