OMG it’s an art heist right here in Chester County!
Another CrimeWatch PA announcement for West Whiteland Police Department caught my eye today:
West Whiteland Police Department:
The West Whiteland Township Police Department is investigating the theft of a painting. The painting was shipped by a woman from Beverly Hills to a auction business in Downingtown. An unknown person picked the item up at the FedEx Ground facility in Exton.
The painting has not been recovered.
A photo of the painting is attached.
Call Sgt. McCloskey or Det. Pezick if you have any information. Date:
Friday, January 27, 2023 – 7:15am
Incident Type: Theft Reference ID: WW-23-01853 Case
Type: Criminal Source: West Whiteland Police Department
Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/westwhitelandpd/14787/cases/theft-painting
OK so the date up there is January 27, 2023? why has it been so long before we would find out about this if it was a theft and I’m presuming it’s a pretty tasty, art theft, right?
So how many auction houses are considered to be in Downingtown, Pennsylvania? Two?
I went and looked up this FedEx Ground location. It’s on Creamery Way in Exton. It has a shockingly bad rating on Google of 2.3! And there are reviewers who accuse this location of theft. All you have to do is go read the reviews if you don’t believe me.
So I wonder did they really just give it to a random person or is this an inside job?
And if this occurred in January why is it only being reported now is it because the sender of the painting and whichever auction house it is have exhausted all avenues with FedEx and they went to the police?
I just also wonder how the FedEx could just kind of let a big piece of art walk out of the door? Don’t they have security cameras? Don’t they ask people for ID? Don’t they sign for a package?
I am totally fascinated by this and I hope the media picks up on it and runs with it. And I hope somebody goes to FedEx and FedEx corporate and ask them how paintings just kind of go missing? I would also like to know which auction house it was because I feel sorry for them.
I have posted the painting a few different times throughout this post because I tried lighting it differently so you could see the image better.
This is literally a Nancy Drew Mystery. I would love to know who the portrait is supposed to be and what it’s perceived value is? And is this one of those things were they get the FBI art theft unit involved?
Stay tuned.
Well, Nancy, after reading the few warnings,why hasn’t anyone filed something more than a complaint?
Are there security cameras around and inside the building? and the trucks?
Does T.H.E. Cat run the business in Exton and kinda…help others assess what they want to walk off the property with?
Consider…that the someone who went to the FedEx building, and just…picked it up and left? Perhaps.. Someone knows the Beverly Hills Lady who asked him/her to pick up the painting because she wanted the insurance $$…which she would share with Someone, of course. How long did Pook/Pook wait before reporting the situation?
If there are other auction houses in Chester or nearby counties, were they warned of the theft?
There used to be several auction houses along Rte 10, but not sure any are still around. There is one close by that may be worth the hike:
Dovetail Auctions on Highspire in Lyndell..Not Downingtown.
Hmmm.. may be interesting…
https://www.dovetailauctions.com/
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Well, there is also Brandywine Valley, art auctions and dovetail is part of Pook and Pook and I don’t think that painting would have been in dovetail. I think we have to wonder if it was an inside job from the FedEx? It just doesn’t make sense that they would just let somebody basically walk out with the painting without showing ID etc. does it?
And seriously have you had a package go missing these days? It is absolutely crazy trying to find anyone to talk to if anything is stolen or missing. And the other thing is, they were only the recipient which ever auction house it was, things start with the sender I believe. And when I went through the reviews of that FedEx location they’re not great. And then there is the FedEx location where it originated from and you don’t know what the tracking said or how long it was supposed to take, etc. i’m still going with the possibility of an inside job on part of the shipper. And people choose auction houses by kinds of art and what the subject matter is a lot of the time so if that’s an 18th-century Pennsylvania gentleman, it makes sense he might come east. Or that painting might have come east because the sender may have lived in Pennsylvania at one time, there are so many variables, but I really think the answer to the mystery lies at that FedEx don’t you? I have been a customer quite a few times of Pook and Pook and I really like them and I don’t see this as being on them if they are even the auction house which was supposed to receive it. And that’s the thing you don’t know what the ultimate destination was because that has not been disclosed what we know is it made it to FedEx in Exton and poof somebody magically took it
oohhh. and the mystery of the purloined painting becomes curiouser and curiouser!
I haven’t received anything from FedEx. UPS has been very good. UPS Phil (and mayor of D’town) recently retired. NOW I find any package is left at the mailbox instead of at the front door.
I agree that there must be at least 2 guilty faces still working at that FedEx building.