DUMFRIESSHIRE, SCOTLAND.-Dick Ellis, the former head of Scotland Yard’s art theft squad stated that it is likely that The Madonna and the Yarnwinder by Leonardo da Vinci will resurface in five more years. The work was stolen the Duke of Buccleuch's estate on August 27, 2003. Dick Ellis stated, "Statistically, the recovery period for important works of art has two peaks. The first one is the year of the actual theft, when the initial publicity would make it unsaleable. In the particular case of The Madonna and the Yarnwinder, the Scottish police have left no stone unturned. However, the painting has still not been recovered. This points to the next relevant date, which is seven years after the date of a theft. There are definite cycles in the way things move in the world of stolen artworks. Unlike the Munch raid, no ransom demand was made. I would speculate it is in the hands of professional criminals as collateral for drug deals."
