Suspected Thief Said Nothing to Ex-Wife About Stradivarius
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ex-wife of a man suspected of stealing a Stradivarius violin 35 years ago says he never said anything about the theft and gave it to her without a word.
Thanh Tran tells The Associated Press she wishes Philip Johnson had confessed before he died in 2011. That way, she could have returned the violin to its owner, renowned violinist Roman Totenberg, before he died the following year.
Tran says the violin was under a tarp in the basement of Johnson's home in Venice, California, inside a case with a combination lock, when he gave it to her.
She assumed the violin was a German-made antique that she bought for him for about $4,500. She only learned the truth when she met with an appraiser in June.
(Story by: Ben Nuckols, The Associated Press)
More From WIBX 950
