2:54 a.m. It was a humid night in early August of 2009. A soft mist fell.
The clang of buoys sounded in the distance. One dim yellow light was on in the security room of the Frances Dion Graves Art Museum, home to one of the oldest and most extensive private collections of artwork in San Francisco. Two police officers on foot patrol made their way north along deserted Montgomery Avenue and then turned east onto Jackson Street, their faces briefly illuminated by intermittent streetlights. As they passed under the last streetlamp, it was possible to make out the silhouette of the backpack carried by the taller officer.
The tall cop pushed the intercom buzzer, looked up at the security camera, and waited for an answer. It took a minute, but a voice crackled over and inquired, "Yeah? What can I do for you, officers?" It was Bill Leitner, a middle-aged guard who clearly sounded tired. He had taken his son out fishing the day before against the advice of his wife and was now paying for it. The shorter cop replied, "I'm Officer O'Reilly, and this is Officer Caven. We got an anonymous call about a possible explosive device planted in the back courtyard. We're pretty sure it's a hoax, but we still have to come in and take a look." Bill turned to look for his partner Charles Fortin, a 63-year-old museum veteran, but remembered Charlie had gone upstairs to do the usual rounds. Although it was against museum policy to let anyone in, under any circumstances, he wasn't feeling so vigilant just then. The salty air and sun had really worn him down. "Besides," he thought, "they're cops--you know, protect and serve." B2zzzz.
The door flew open, and before Bill realized it, the back of his head met with the business end of an industrial-sized Maglite*
Charlie was on his way back down the stairs after finishing his rounds when he heard the scuffle and saw Bill go down. "Is he nuts letting someone in?" he thought to himself. Then, out loud, he yelled, "Hey! What's goin' on?" He ran toward Bill and the security room and the silent alarm button with arm outstretched, but never made it. The tall cop tackled Charlie, and whacked him upside the head, too. Everything went black.
Charlie woke up first. The first thing he noticed, besides the throbbing lump above his ear, was that his hands were bound behind his back, his feet were bound together, and there was a hefty X of duct tape over his mouth. The assailants were gone. But, was anything else?
It wasn't until the cleaning crew atrived at 6:30 a.m. that anyone figured out something bad had happened during the night. The absence of Charlie and Bill (who were promptly found and unbound after a thorough search of the building by the real San Francisco Police Department) was a major tip-off. When a crewmember walked into the Douglas room and saw the frame of one of the Rembrandts on the floor with no painting inside it, she ran to the phone and called the police. When all was said and done, one of the biggest art heists in U.S. history had taken place under their noses. Four Rembrandts, two Monets, one Van Gogh, and a few other paintings nine in all were gone. Curiously, though, one priceless Monet was left untouched. Somehow, they all slipped unnoticed down Montgomery Avenue and into the darkness.
The diagram in Figure 1 depicts the crime scene. It is now your job to collect the information and find out who is behind this sinister caper.
Question 1: Take notes on the case in the notebook at right. This can include -
• Evidence
• Persons of interest
• Timing of events
Notebook:
Case: Art Heist at Frances Dion Graves Art Museum
Evidence:
- Four Rembrandts, two Monets, one Van Gogh, and a few other paintings were stolen
- One priceless Monet was left untouched
- Frame of one of the Rembrandts found on the floor with no painting inside it
Persons of Interest:
- Tall cop and shorter cop who claimed to receive an anonymous call about a possible explosive device planted in the back courtyard
- Bill Leitner, middle-aged guard who let the cops in despite museum policy
- Charles Fortin, museum veteran who was tackled and bound by the assailants
Timing of Events:
- Occurred in early August of 2009 at 2:54 a.m.
- Two police officers on foot patrol arrived at the museum and were let in by Bill Leitner
- Charles Fortin was tackled and bound by the assailants
- Cleaning crew arrived at 6:30 a.m. and discovered the missing paintings and the absence of Charlie and Bill.