Golden toilet heist cracked: British police close case on Blenheim Palace theft after 5 years
In a mere five minutes, a four-person team made off with an 18-karat gold toilet worth $6 million from Blenheim Palace. Five years later, British police finally closed the case.
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2019, September 14 - Under the cover of darkness, four individuals infiltrated the historic Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. In just five minutes, they completed their mission and escaped in their waiting cars. Their prize? "America," an 18-karat gold, fully functional toilet, a unique artwork valued at $6 million.
Five years later, British police have finally closed the case. This audacious theft, which made headlines worldwide in 2019, resulted in charges against the four perpetrators. Fred Doe, 36, was spared jail time despite being found guilty of assisting in melting down and selling the gold. The other three were sentenced for their direct involvement in the heist.
Around 4 a.m. on September 14, 2019, palace employee Eleanor Pace was awakened by a loud crash. Initially thinking something had fallen, she was quickly alerted by the blaring security alarm. Realizing something was amiss, she rushed to the room housing the palace's priceless art collection. "America," the masterpiece designed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was gone.
Police arrived shortly after, astonished by the audacity of the crime. A four-person team, arriving in two cars, had breached palace security and vanished with the multi-million dollar gold toilet in a mere five minutes. The investigation revealed a surprising security lapse: the room containing the invaluable toilet lacked both guards and CCTV cameras. The darkness and this vulnerability had aided the thieves.
The ensuing investigation, while unable to recover the artwork itself, led to the discovery of James Sheen's DNA at the scene. Police believe the toilet was melted down and sold. Michael Jones, 39, and James Sheen, 40, the primary accomplice, received prison sentences. While Fred Doe was not directly involved in the theft, he was found guilty of assisting in melting down and selling the gold, though he avoided jail time. Another accomplice, Bora Guccuk, 39, was acquitted.
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