In this episode, retired agent Geoffrey Kelly reviews his 22-year investigation of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. On March 18, 1990, in Boston, two men wearing Boston Police Department uniforms and introducing themselves as police officers stole 13 masterpieces worth over $500 million. It is the largest unsolved art heist in history.
Although the artwork by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas, have never been recovered, Geoff’s investigation identified the Boston and Philadelphia mobs as being involved in the theft, and established that some members either had or continue to have possession of the stolen pieces of art. A $10 million reward has been offered for information leading to the recovery of the pieces.
Geoff is the author of Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist, the behind-the-scenes true story of his investigation. He provides his insights and theories about the infamous theft, and his thoughts about armchair detectives and journalists with their own speculations involving international culprits and government conspiracies.
“Look, I always treated the Gardner investigation as really two separate but interrelated investigations. You have the first, the who done it. Who went into the museum and who was involved. And the second, in my opinion the more pertinent investigation, where are these paintings today and how do we find them? And so, right up until the day I retired, we were continuing to get theories, some of them more bizarre than others, about who committed the robbery. Some were outlandish and nonsensical, but at some point we’re like, look, we’re kind of done with the armchair detectives with their theoretical string charts coming up with these theories. We’re looking for hard facts as to where these paintings are and how we can find them.”—Geoffrey Kelly, Retired Agent
Geoff was previously a guest on FBI Case File Review – 341: Geoffrey Kelly – Cezanne Theft and Recovery, FBI Art Crime Team
Special Agent (Retired)
Geoffrey Kelly
10/1995 – 5/2024
Geoffrey Kelly served in the FBI for 28 years. He was assigned to a violent crime squad in the Boston Division. As one of the original members of the Art Crime Team, founded in 2004, Geoff managed numerous high-profile investigations throughout his career, using sophisticated techniques, veteran interviewing skills, and good old-fashioned detective work.
Geoff has recovered more than $100 million in stolen artwork and cultural property; items as diverse as rare books, fine art, Native American artifacts, looted treasures – even Tom Brady’s stolen Super Bowl jerseys.
An internationally recognized expert in the field of fine art and antiquities theft, Geoff has traveled the world, training domestic and international agencies and institutions on proven methods and best practices to deter art and cultural property theft. He has a proven track record of solving difficult cases, making him one of the most respected investigators in the field.
His most challenging Art Crime Team investigation was the Gardner Museum robbery, for which he was able to identify the perpetrators. However, the stolen artwork has yet to be recovered.
Geoff has extensive experience investigating violent crimes, including cold-case homicides, bank robberies, and kidnappings, and was the case agent on the real-life notorious Charlestown armored car robbery crew that was fictionalized in the Ben Affleck movie, The Town. In fact, the main character in the film, Agent Frawley (played by actor Jon Hamm), was based on Geoff. Geoff worked closely with Affleck and the producers on the project and was credited as an advisor to the film.
Geoff was also the case agent on the infamous 1974unsolved Cape Cod homicide. The case involved the victim dubbed The Lady of the Dunes. Using investigative genealogy, in 2022, Geoff was able to identify the victim, Ruth Marie Terry, and her killer, and bring closure to her family after nearly half a century.
After retiring from the FBI, Geoff and his colleagues formed Argus Cultural Property Consultants, a consulting firm dedicated to preserving and protecting art and cultural property. He also serves as an instructor at Harvard’s Extension School, teaching a graduate-level course on art crime and investigations.
The following are links to articles about the Gardner Museum theft. There are also links to information about the FBI’s elite Art Crime Team:
FBI Website – Famous Cases: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist
FBI Website – What We Investigate – Art Crime
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – Theft: Active and Ongoing Investigation
FBI Website – Inside the FBI Podcast: The Art Crime Program
FBI Website (VIDEO) – Art Crime Team Training
Also, listen to the following FBI Retired Case File Review episodes about the theft of art and cultural artifacts and the recovery of rare documents and books:
374: Tim Carpenter – Grave Robber, Stolen Artifacts and Burial Remains
312: John Ouellet – Bibliomania Book Bandit, Stephen Blumberg
116: Dan Reilly – Rare Document Theft, Charles Merrill Mount
022: Bob Bazin – Art Crime Rodin Museum Armed Robbery
Read my review of the movie National Treasure (2004)
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