If you've got a burning secret about the 13 pieces of art missing from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the clock is ticking.Share the details in the next four days, and you'll earn a cool $10 million.Wait until 2018, and that reward will be slashed in half. The 1990 theft of the masterpieces was the biggest-ever heist from an art museum and the largest property crime America has ever seen. Three Rembrandts, including his only known seascape. A Vermeer. A Manet. Sketches by Degas. All spirited away by bold thieves disguised as policemen.The artworks are, collectively, worth more than $500 million, but they're so recognizable that they're believed to be nearly impossible to sell. No one knows where they are.Twenty-seven years later, the museum has empty frames on its walls — reminders of the art that isn't there. A $1 million reward was later boosted to $5 million. And this year, the prize money was doubled, with a deadline of Dec. 31. As the deadline approaches, museum spokeswoman Kathy Sharpless told CBS News the museum is "laser-focused" on that date. "Clearly there's a sense of urgency on our part," she said. "We want our paintings back."To be clear, the museum isn't looking for the names of the thieves. The FBI actually has a pretty good idea who did it — they suspect two men tied to the mob — but the statute of limitations on the crime expired years ago. It's not about catching the crooks or making sure justice is served. The museum just wants its masterpieces back. Anthony Amore, head of security at the museum, tells ABC News that the increase in prize money did rev up some fresh interest from the public."We received a number of good leads, good calls from concerned citizens and lots of theories from people as well, but as you can imagine we're not interested in theories," Amore told ABC. "We're just interested in facts that lead us to a recovery." If you have those kinds of facts at hand, email theft@gardnermuseum.org to pass along your tip — confidentiality guaranteed — and claim your $10 million. Curious about how that grand heist went down? Boston Globe reporter Stephen Kurkjian, author of a book about the theft, explained the night's fateful events to NPR in 2015.
Got The Scoop On The Gardner Museum Art Heist? You Have 4 Days To Earn $10 Million
