The Night of The Heist

When did it happen?
· March 18, 1990. Two men were allowed into the museum at around 1:24AM.

What happened?
· Although the thieves didn’t show any weapons, they managed to handcuff and bound the two guards that let them in and left them in the basement.
· It took them less than 90 minutes to prowl around the museum where they took three Rembrandts, a Vermeer painting, a Chinese beaker, a painting by Govaert Flinck, 5 Degas’, a bronze eagle that had decorated a Napoleonic flag, and a Manet.
· They attempted to take a fourth Rembrandt, although they could not pry it from the frame.
· It isn’t known what order the rooms were robbed because they took the surveillance tape.
· Also, something that confuses investigators is the fact that the thieves didn’t seem to ransack the Titan Room showcases, where they could have stolen “The Rape of Europa”, which had been voted the cities most significant piece of artwork

What has happened since the heist?
· $5 million dollars has been offered by the Gardner Museum for the return of the paintings which average a total of $300 million in value.
· An anonymous letter writer said he could plan the return of the paintings in exchange for $2.6 million what was wanted was: full immunity from prosecution for the thieves, and the people who held the paintings. The letter was turned over to the FBI.
· Another letter was sent, the writer showing their interest in the museums thoughts about negotiation, although they didn’t like the way the law enforcements reacted. The writer said if a private exchange was impossible, then he would give the museum clues on the artworks whereabouts. After that, nothing was sent to the museum again.
· The frames of the missing paintings still hang on the walls today.