The case of a stolen Stradivarius came to a close earlier this week when police recovered the 300-year-old violin from a Milwaukee attic in good condition. The instrument, worth an estimated $5 million, was taken from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond following a performance at Wisconsin Lutheran College late last month.
For those in need of a refresher, here’s how the three thieves, who have since been arrested, allegedly pulled off the high-profile heist with the help of a Taser, via ABC News:
Almond was walking to his car in the parking lot after a performance at Wisconsin Lutheran College with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, according to a police report, when Almond was assaulted with a stun gun at about 10:20 p.m. on Monday. The shock caused Almond to drop the violin he was carrying and the suspect took it and jumped into car driven by an accomplice, police said.
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, police were able to track down the alleged robbers with the help of tips from the local community and some information from stun gun-maker Taser International, which was able to provide details about the specific weapon used in the robbery. After the suspects—two men and a woman—were arrested, one apparently told police where the violin had been stashed. No word yet if any of the tipsters will get the $100,000 that was being offered for information that lead to the recovery of the instrument.
