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Robbery
of priceless works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2 Palace Road, Boston, Massachusetts, March 18, 1990.
THE CRIME
Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property & Major Theft
REWARDA FIVE MILLION DOLLAR Reward is offered for the safe
recovery of all stolen items in good condition. The
recovery of an individual object will result in a portion
of the reward, based upon the object's market value.
DETAILSOn
March 18, 1990, the Gardner Museum was robbed by two
unknown white males dressed in police uniforms and
identifying themselves a Boston police officers. The
unknown subjects gained entrance into the museum by
advising on-duty security personnel that they were
responding to a call of a disturbance within the compound.
Security, contrary to museum regulations, allowed the
unknown subjects into the facility.
Upon gaining entry, the two
unknown subjects abducted the on duty security personnel,
securing both guards with duct tape and handcuffs in
separate remote areas of the museum's basement. The
unknown subjects brandished no weapons, nor were any
weapons seen during this heist. Other than a
"panic" button located behind the guards' watch
desk area, the museum alarm system was internally only.
Since the panic button was not activated, no actual police
notification was made during the robbery. The video
surveillance film was seized by the unknown subjects prior to their departure.
While in the museum from
the hours of 1:24 a.m. to 2:45 a.m., the unknown subjects
seized the following works of art, the values of which
have been estimated as high as 300 million dollars.
DUTCH ROOM GALLERY
- VERMEER,
THE CONCERT; Oil on canvas, 72.5 x 64.7 cm.
- REMBRANDT,
A LADY AND GENTLEMAN IN BLACK; Oil on canvas, 131.6 x 109 cm. Inscribed at the foot, REMBRANDT. FT: 1633.
- REMBRANDT,
THE STORM ON THE SEA OF GALILEE, Oil on canvas, 161.7 x 129.8. cm. Inscribed on the rudder, REMBRANDT. FT: 1633
- REMBRANDT,
SELF PORTRAIT, Etching, 1 3/4" x 2", (Postage Stamp size)
- GOVAERT
FLINCK, LANDSCAPE WITH AN OBELISK , Oil on an oak
panel, 54.5 x 71 cm. Inscribed faintly at the foot on
the right; R. 16.8 (until recently this was attributed to Rembrandt).
- CHINESE
BRONZE BEAKER OR "KU", Chinese, SHANG
DYNASTY, 1200-1100 BC; height of 10 ", diameter
of 6 1/8", with a weight of 2 pounds, 7 ounces.
SHORT GALLERY
- DEGAS,
LA SORTIE DU PELAGE, pencil and water color on paper, 10 x 16 cm.
- DEGAS,
CORTEGE AUX ENVIRONS DE FLORENCE, pencil and wash on paper, 16 x 21 cm. (This and the above were originally in a single frame.)
- DEGAS,
THREE MOUNTED JOCKEYS; Black ink, white, flesh and rose washes, probably oil pigments, applied with a brush on medium brown paper, 30.5 x 24 cm.
- DEGAS,
PROGRAM FOR AN ARTISTIC SOIREE; Charcoal on white paper, 24.1 x 30.9 cm.
- DEGAS,
PROGRAM FOR AN ARTISTIC SOIREE; a less finished version of the above, charcoal on buff paper, 23.4 x 30 cm. (This and the above were originally in a single frame.)
BLUE ROOM GALLERY
- MANET,
CHEZ TORTONI; Oil on canvas, 26 x 34 cm
All logical leads have been
followed through to conclusion with no positive
investigative results. Numerous interviews have been
conducted, many accompanied by polygraph examination, with
no substantial positive information developed. All
forensic evidence recovered by the Boston Police
Department and the F.B.I. from the crime scene has been
submitted to the F.B.I. Laboratory Division for analysis
and storage. Appropriate computer entries and
notifications regarding the theft and description of the
unknown subjects have been made.
Unknown Subjects described as follows on 3/18/90:
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Unknown Suspect Number One
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| Race: |
White |
| Sex: |
Male |
| Age: |
Late 20's to mid 30's |
| Height: |
5'7" to 5'10" |
| Weight: |
Unknown |
| Build: |
Medium |
| Eyes: |
Dark |
| Hair: |
Black, short cropped |
| Complexion: |
Fair to medium |
| Facial Structure: |
Narrow |
| Facial Hair: |
Wearing a dark, shiny mustache, appearing to be false |
| Glasses: |
Wearing square-shaped, gold framed glasses |
| Clothing: |
Fully ornamented dark blue police uniform and hat, and
dark shoes, with patch on left shoulder, possibly with wording "Boston Police." |
| Equipment: |
Carrying a square black radio (with 5" to 6"
antenna) on belt |
| Accent: |
Possibly Boston |
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Unknown Suspect Number Two
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| Race: |
White |
| Sex: |
Male |
| Age: |
Early to mid 30's |
| Height: |
6'0" to 6'1" |
| Weight: |
180 to 200 pounds |
| Build: |
Fairly broad shoulders, lanky from the waist down |
| Eyes: |
Dark |
| Hair: |
Black, medium length, puffy with additional length in back, rounded off just over the collar |
| Complexion: |
Fair to medium |
| Facial Structure: |
Round |
| Facial Hair: |
Black shiny mustache appearing to be false |
| Glasses: |
None |
| Clothing: |
Same as Unknown Subject Number One |
| Equipment: |
Same as Unknown Subject Number One |
| Accent: |
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Persons with information
regarding the Gardner Museum theft should contact the Boston
F.B.I. office at 1-888-233-5914. Callers will
be assured confidentiality by use of a code name.
(All images are scanned
from publications copyrighted by the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum and are protected under international
copyright laws. Republication of posting of these images is prohibited.)
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Theft Notice -
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum