You should've been like, well look in your wallet Hun...what's in there....yeah that's right NOTHING. lol

She'll realize you were telling the truth later when she goes to get something and its gone.

That's called a no win scenario.

Here is my take. The possibility of mother stealing from her cannot be publicly acknowledged in front of husband. wife may even know her mother having this habit. Now, while in private, she will probably talk it over with her mom, possibly not the first time at that. Had she acknowledged or allowed pockets to be searched, she'd cause permanent and public loss of face to OP, which wife was probably attempting to prevent. I expect wife to come clean when in private to OP and request him to be understanding of this very difficult situation. At the end everybody will know what happened but could still play the "it was just a misunderstanding" game. if wife doesn't come clean to OP soon, they could be crossing a point of no return in their relationship.

It's your wife's problem, OP, and eventually she will realize her stuff is missing.

Next time just true the other way

You got yourself a bitch of a mother-in-law.

all you needed was proof. & you had it.

Should've said something earlier as soon as it happened.

Regardless of what the world makes it out to be, not every marriage is destined to end in divorce.