Cliff, New Mexico – In the quiet town of Cliff, New Mexico, the mysterious tale of a middle-aged couple named Jerry and Rita Alter has captivated the community. This nondescript pair of teachers managed to fund a life of adventure and travel that ultimately led to suspicions of being international art thieves. The spotlight turned on the Alters when the FBI recently confirmed their involvement in assisting to track down two other stolen paintings from the couple’s possession.
The Alters, both now deceased, are believed to have embarked on a series of art heists in the mid-1980s, leaving a trail of intrigue and questionable motives. One notorious heist involved the theft of a $150 million Willem de Kooning painting titled “Woman-Ochre” from a museum in Tucson, Arizona. The duo executed this daring theft with precision, utilizing deceptive tactics to distract museum staff while one of them covertly swiped the valuable artwork.
Despite the recovery of the stolen de Kooning painting in 2017 following Rita’s death, lingering questions remain about the Alters’ illicit activities. The FBI’s involvement in another art heist from the same year sheds light on the couple’s enigmatic modus operandi. Unveiled in a documentary film titled “The Thief Collector,” the Alters were portrayed as “adrenaline junkies” who thrived on risky escapades, often evading authorities by flying to one country and enlisting smugglers to transport them to another.
The plot thickens as details emerge about a separate heist involving two prized paintings, Victor Higgins’ “Aspens” and Joseph Henry Sharp’s “Indian Boy in Full Dress,” stolen from the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, in March 1985. Witnesses recall a woman in a wheelchair creating a diversion while a man swiftly retrieved the artworks, leaving no trace behind. The elusive paintings resurfaced after Jerry’s passing in 2012, leading to their sale at an auction in Arizona.
Now, the Harwood Museum is on a mission to recover the stolen artworks, enlisting the FBI’s expertise in the hunt for these missing masterpieces. Juniper Leherissey, the museum’s executive director, suspects that the paintings may have changed hands over the years, potentially ending up in the possession of unknowing buyers. The hope remains that the rightful owners, the Harwood Museum, will reclaim these cultural treasures and restore them to their rightful place. The saga of the Alters continues to unravel, unveiling a gripping narrative of art theft and intrigue that has captivated audiences far and wide.