Mystery surrounding stolen Picasso art piece from local art gallery continues after 5 years

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- It's a five-year mystery in the Milwaukee art scene that still persists -- a missing Picasso lithograph vanished without a trace from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals.

It was a quiet afternoon in the middle of March 2018 when a simple lunch break started a series of events that have led to a five-year search for one of the famous painter's lithographs.

"It was a normal afternoon and my partner, Michael Goforth, left for lunch and walked past where the lithograph was on the wall. When he came back from lunch, he noted that the lithograph was gone," said Bill DeLind, owner of the gallery.

According to DeLind, the Picasso lithograph is worth tens of thousands of dollars. He said anywhere between $35,000 to $50,000.

DeLind said there have been no leads since the crime was committed.

In a statement, the FBI shared:

"The FBI routinely offers assistance to our law enforcement partners, to provide additional manpower and specialized resources, when they become necessary. In this matter, the FBI’s Art Crime Team is uniquely positioned to provide this assistance and remains committed to the Milwaukee Police Department to help bring those accountable to justice. Anyone with information on this crime is encouraged to report it to the Milwaukee Police Department, which is the lead investigative agency, or to the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI."

DeLind remains hopeful but is aware of the possibility it may remain a mystery forever.