Gardner Museum Heist Research
Reference, Thieves-Are-Dead Big Lie Reported 14 Times
1. Gardner Museum guard doesn’t recall visit By Shelley Murphy Boston Globe August 7, 2015
"Two years ago, the FBI announced it was confident that it had identified the thieves, but declined to name them, citing the ongoing investigation. Authorities said they believed some of the artwork changed hands through organized crime circles, and moved from Boston to Connecticut and Philadelphia, where the trail went cold.
They also said they believed the thieves died shortly after the heist, leaving the fate of the artwork unknown."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/07/tips-flow-mystery-visitor-before-gardner-heist/FBX1GcLNdTRuDTa2zX8waI/story.html
2. Latest search for Gardner paintings came up empty By Stephen Kurkjian Boston Globe December 27, 2015
"In 2013 the head of the FBI’s Boston office said at a press conference that the agency knew who had pulled off
the robbery, and that both men were dead."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/27/search-suffolk-downs-for-gardner-museum-masterpieces-came-empty/H1iiRlZopLFfxOkM9Nm41J/story.html
3. Notorious Boston mobster-turned-pastor has clues about Gardner heist by Shelley Murphy and Stephen Kurkjian Boston Globe March 18, 2017
"The FBI announced two years ago that it was confident it had identified the thieves -- two local criminals
who died shortly after the heist -- but declined to name them."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/26/from-capo-christian-mobster-tale/5yTwaVj47owP8d4JfuDAOM/story.html
"In 2013, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the two thieves, both now deceased, but declined to name them."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/09/30/death-bed-confession-gardner-museum-heist/LvxckD19M3wa0GlEFbd7VL/story.html 5. Six theories behind the stolen Gardner Museum paintings By Shelley Murphy and Stephen Kurkjian Boston Globe March 18, 2017
"The FBI announced two years ago that it was confident it had identified the thieves -- two local criminals who died shortly after the heist -- but declined to name them." (This should actually state four years ago, but it is clear the reference is to the 2013 press conference.)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/18/six-theories-behind-stolen-gardner-museum-paintings/JmwHou86qo5MtBzX1fb9cI/story.html 6. Gardner Museum doubles reward for stolen art to $10m By Shelley Murphy Boston Globe May 23, 2017
"Four years ago, the FBI announced that it was confident it had identified the thieves – two local criminals who have since died – and determined that the stolen artwork traveled through organized crime circles from Boston to Connecticut to Philadelphia, where the trail went cold around 2003."
https://web.archive.org/web/20170523214155/bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/05/23/gardner-museum-doubles-reward-for-stolen-treasures-million/fwmaKMy9oDLLytq78CJCTI/story.html 7. Evidence in Gardner Museum thefts that might bear DNA is missing By Stephen Kurkjian and Shelley Murphy June 12, 2017
“Four years ago, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the thieves — local criminals who have since died.”
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/06/12/evidence-in-gardner-museum-thefts-that-might-bear-dna-is-missing/ 8. $10m reward for stolen Gardner museum artwork set to expire at end of 2017 By Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe December 16, 2017 "Four years ago, the FBI announced that it was confident it had identified the thieves — two local criminals who have since died — and determined that the stolen artwork traveled through organized crime circles from Boston to Connecticut to Philadelphia, where the trail went cold around 2003."
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/12/16/10m-reward-for-stolen-gardner-museum-artwork-set-to-expire-at-end-of-2017/ 9. Conn. mobster eyed in Gardner heist sentenced to 54 months in prison on gun charges By Shelley Murphy Boston Globe February 27, 2018
"Five years ago, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the thieves — local criminals who have since died — and had determined that the stolen artwork traveled through organized crime circles from Boston to Connecticut to Philadelphia, where the trail went cold around 2003."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/02/27/connecticut-mobster-eyed-gardner-heist-faces-sentencing-gun-charges/SO0iWiB0Q6g4SqSdbI3sZP/story.html
10. More than 30 years later, a tantalizing clue in the Gardner Museum art heist surfaces Shelley Murphy Boston Globe 11/30/2021
"In 2013, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the thieves — local criminals who have since died
— but declined to name them. Authorities said they believed some of the artwork changed hands
through organized crime circles while moving from Boston to Connecticut to Philadelphia."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/30/metro/more-than-30-years-later-tantalizing-clue-gardner-museum-art-heist-surfaces/
"In 2013, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the thieves, two local criminals who died shortly after the heist, but declined to name them. The FBI said it believed the artworks were moved through organized crime circles to Philadelphia, where the trail went cold around 2003."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/17/metro/thirty-three-years-after-gardner-heist-where-are-paintings/ 12. Vermeer exhibit in the Netherlands calls to mind what was stolen from the Gardner
"In 2013, the FBI announced it was confident it had identified the thieves, two local criminals who died shortly after the heist but declined to name them." Shelley Murphy Boston Globe March 17, 2023
https://gardnerheist.com/The_Boston_Globe_2023_03_17_A9.pdf 13. For sale: 7-bed mansion in Atlanta with ... a Rembrandt stolen 34 years ago in the Gardner heist?
"In 2013, Richard DesLauriers, then special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office, announced the bureau was confident it had identified the thieves — local criminals who have since died — but declined to name them."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/03/17/metro/isabella-gardner-museum-heist/ 14. On the 35th anniversary of the Gardner Museum heist, retired FBI agent offers theory on whodunnit By Shelley Murphy Boston Globe, March 18, 2025
"After scrutinizing dozens of potential scenarios involving a dizzying array of suspects, Kelly has settled on this theory:" And later Murphy reports that "in 2013, the FBI announced it believed the thieves were two local criminals who died shortly after the heist but declined to name them."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/18/metro/gardner-museum-heist-thieves-rembrandt-reward/
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