[MSN] 3 Convicted in Theft of Munch Paintings

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

3 Convicted in Theft of Munch Paintings

By DOUG MELLGREN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 2, 2006; 8:32 PM



OSLO, Norway -- A Norwegian court convicted three people Tuesday in the
theft of Edvard Munch masterpieces "The Scream" and "Madonna," delivering a
verdict that left questions surrounding the identities of gunmen who carried
out the robbery.

The three Norwegian men sentenced Tuesday to prison terms of between four
and eight years were convicted of providing or driving the getaway car.

But the Oslo court did not find proof that any of them, or three others who
were acquitted Tuesday, were the masked, gun-wielding robbers who actually
stole the Norwegian national treasures in front of shocked witnesses.

There are four versions of "The Scream," one of the world's most recognized
painted images, showing an anguished figure against a surrealistic reddish
sky.

During the six-week trial, the prosecution had singled out Stian Skjold, 30,
as the mastermind of the robbery and one of the two masked men who entered
the museum.

However, the court acquitted him, saying it was unlikely he carried out the
heist because he would have been too easily identified due to his pronounced
stutter and very tall, thin build.

The court did convict Petter Tharaldsen, 34, of driving the getaway car and
sentenced him to eight years in prison.

Bjoern Hoen, 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Petter
Rosenvinge, 38, to four years for their roles in providing and preparing the
getaway car.

Tharaldsen and Hoen were also ordered to pay $123 million in compensation to
the City of Oslo, which owns the paintings.

Even though three defendants were acquitted, Prosecutor Terje Nyboe declined
to describe the ruling as a failure.

"We got convictions for the three who were most likely to convict based on
the evidence, so in that regard I am satisfied with the ruling," he was
quoted as saying by news agency NTB.

Despite an international police hunt, and the offer of a $328,000 reward,
the paintings have not been recovered.

Munch's emotionally charged painting style became a major influence in the
birth of the 20th-century expressionist movement.

"The Scream" and "Madonna" were part of his "Frieze of Life" series,
focusing on sickness, death, anxiety and love.

Munch died in 1944 at the age of 80.

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