A Birdwatcher's Photo Exposes a Perfect Bronze Swap: The Whitmore Heist

A Birdwatcher's Photo Exposes a Perfect Bronze Swap: The Whitmore Heist The quiet of an early morning birdwatching outing hid a federal art theft in plain sight: at 7:42 a.m. a photo captured an open receiving bay, a split pine crate, a dolly, and a bronze figure that had already crossed two international borders. Who used a retired facilities manager’s access card and timed a county paving crew to mask the move? In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the commission and fabrication to the moment a hobbyist’s photograph became Exhibit 14 in a federal case, and ask how inside knowledge and small oversights enabled the theft. Person: Robert Price Person: David Wray Person: Brian Miller Date: November 16, 2019 Event: Photograph of receiving bay used as evidence - Commission value was $112,000 and the timeline was 14 months. - The sculptor documented each stage and used a cheesecloth investment mold on the left hip. - David Wray worked as Price’s studio assistant from February and left in September. - An access event on November 9 at 11:47 a.m. logged use of Walt Decker’s proximity card after his retirement. - The paving crew arrived and blocked sightlines on November 16 before 6:00 a.m., the same morning the birdwatcher took the photo at 7:42 a.m. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].