New evidence coming to light this month suggested the 1990 art museum robbery was an inside job.
May 27, 2024, published at 1:40 PM ET
New evidence revealed this month suggested a 1990 art museum robbery was an inside job. RadarOnline.com has learned. A secret signal sent to the suspected thieves was also revealed.
Flashback to March 1990, Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum fell victim to a daring art heist when two thieves disguised as police officers made off with $500 million worth of artwork, including pieces by renowned artists like Rembrandt And Vermeer.
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The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was the victim of a daring art heist in 1990 when two thieves made off with works of art worth $500 million.
The robbery, believed to be the largest of its kind in history, left the museum reeling with nothing more than empty frames still hanging on the walls.
But new studies this month are shedding light Rik Abath – the night watchman who was on duty during the robbery in 1990. Investigators suspected that Abath may have played a role in the museum caper.
Erik Ulis, an independent investigator, pointed to several pieces of evidence indicating Abath's involvement in the robbery. From breaching security protocols to suspicious behavior captured by motion detectors, the case against Abath certainly proved compelling.
“Abath was the last person to set foot in the Blue Room, which tells us that he is the only person who could have removed Chez Tortoni,” Ulis claimed this week during an interview with The sun.
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New investigations this month shed light on Rick Abath, the night watchman on duty during the 1990 robbery.
“And I'm speculating here, but I think that was part of the whole deal. I think the thieves told him that when we receive the proceeds from the sale of the Chez Tortoni, we will pass those proceeds on to Rick,” Ulis continued.
“So much evidence points to him being involved.”
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Abath, who died in March this year aged 57, vehemently denied any link to the robbery before his death – despite many lingering suspicions.
The suspect's checkered past, which featured a struggling rock band and a meager income, added fuel to the speculative fire.
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“So much evidence points to him being involved.”
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Reports of Abath's reckless behavior and connections to questionable individuals also did little to dispel doubts about the man's innocence.
“Would anyone who had friends who were robbers or in the underworld have heard us complain about how terrible the security system was?” A bath said in 2013. “Absolutely.”
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“We talked about it openly all the time,” he continued. “But did I know someone picked it up and used it to rob the place? Absolutely not.'
The Gardner heist remains a mystery more than thirty years later and the stolen works of art have still not been recovered.
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Several additional suspects have emerged over the years, including Brian McDevitt.
Over the years, several additional suspects have emerged – including Brian McDevitt.
A daring con man and convicted art thief, McDevitt was previously ensnared in a botched art heist in New York that shared eerie similarities with the Gardner heist.
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McDevitt's ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Rabinowitzalso revealed surprising details about his alleged confession regarding the Gardner robbery.
Dubious alibis and elaborate schemes cast a shadow of suspicion on McDevitt's actions, but his untimely death in 2004 in South America only raised further questions about the truth behind his alleged involvement.
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“Brian and Rick may have started communicating there in the months before the robbery.”
“It is very reasonable to assume that Rick Abath – who was in a band and involved in the local music and drug scene – went to the same location,” Ulis speculated this month.
“I can't say for sure,” he continued, “but it could be that Brian and Rick started communicating there in the months before the robbery.”
