The Case of the missing altar…Here is to you Peter Falk:

I have occasionally been asked to write about archeological & heritage cases I’ve been involved with. Over the years I’ve quipped: “I would, but I don’t want to get sued.” In reality, many are long and convoluted (they are complex investigations) and I probably don’t remember enough to make them an interesting read. But, here is one:

It was a typical “May Day” morning in Santa Fe. I was working the compliance desk at HPD (Historic Preservation Div.) when I received a call. It was Ben Reimann a Senior Special Agent with ICE that I’d worked Customs cases with before retiring from the Park Service. Ben told me there was a Grand Jury investigation out of New York that was tracking an alleged stolen church altar from Peru to Santa Fe. He said: “We’re searching Ron Messick’s gallery and home this morning. Do you want to come?” I’d be a subject matter specialist for cultural property. I immediately recognized the name, as Customs had been interested in Messick’s trips to Peru for years. In the decade he’d been in town he had become “a player,” owning a gallery and properties. I replied that I’d like to participate, and asked if I could bring the new NPS investigator in Santa Fe with me: Dave Sandbakken… aka “Big D.” We got supervisory approvals and headed out to what is called an “agency assist.”

search warrant photo

At the briefing we were shown a copy of a search warrant photo showing a large (ca. 5’ x 8’ +/-) church altar that we’d been looking for. An informant had seen the altar at Messick’s residence recently. We were to find and recover same. After the premises was secured and made safe, I entered the residence. I was struck by how much it looked like a fine museum, with wonderful objects aplenty. I also noticed the many search teams scurrying about without being able to locate the large altar. After looking in the various rooms ourselves Big D and I were out in the main entrance area when Big D asked: “So, whadaya think?” My reply: “I wonder what Lt. Columbo would do?... I think he’d be looking for inconsistencies around here.” I asked for the search warrant photo again and noticed the color of the entry area wall was the same color as behind the altar in the photo. I then noticed two metal loops protruding from ceiling vigas with nothing coming out of them. I inspected the large historic wooden credenza below that and noticed linear gouging on its top. Inspecting a cabinet nearby I found two wire cables that could’ve been to support an object the size of the missing altar. This information was quickly conveyed to the agents.

Subsequent interviews with gallery employees and others, within the hour, confirmed that the Peruvian altar had been at that very location at Messick’s home 1-week before.  We didn’t recover the altar that day, but Messick’s attorney turned-it-over to ICE a few days later. The defense strategy that they appeared to be working towards was that the piece had been in the US and bought-and-sold since the 1960’s; before we’d signed onto the UNESCO Treaty. However, a book published in Peru decades after that showed it “in situ” (in place) at the church altar. Messick never had his chance to defend his actions to the Grand Jury; I heard he died from brain cancer before that came about. The altar was in El Paso in ICE possession for awhile, and my understanding is that it was then repatriated to Peru. I hope to someday visit its home (and have Pete Falk to thank… among so many others).