BOSTON, Oct. 15 -- Paint chips believed to come from some $200 million in art stolen in 1990 from a Boston museum have been authenticated as Rembrandt's by a world renowned art expert. The Boston Herald says today the chips are proof that two convicts who claim they can help recover the stolen art are legitimate.
Two of the 13 masterpieces stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum were rare Rembrandts. The Herald said the paint chips were provided by a confidential source as evidence that William Youngworth III of Randolph and Myles Connor of Milton have access to the hidden art work. The chips were examined by world renowned art expert Dr. Walter McCrone of Chicago, who worked on the Shroud of Turin and debunked the 'Hitler Diaries.' McCrone said he was surprised to determine the chips were authentic Rembrandt, because 95 percent of the time he performs such tests the results prove otherwise. McCrone said that 'everything is utterly perfect for a Rembrandt paint layer.' Youngworth and Connor claim they can help recover the stolen art, but won't do so until they get a deal giving them a $5 million reward, immunity from prosecution, and release from prison. Both were in jail at the time of the thefts. They have not disclosed how they came to know where the stolen art is hidden. The Herald says chips and other evidence are being turned over to federal prosecutors, who would have to approve any deal with Youngworthh and Connor. ---
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