Criminal Justice Student Chosen as First-Ever Intern for Gardner Museum Art Heist
December 10, 2012
Darcy Peabody '13 is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's First-Ever Investigative Intern.
Just about every resident of Boston has heard of the 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist Case—the largest unsolved art theft in history. However, not everyone knows about the investigators behind the case, including one of Mount Ida’s own criminal justice students, Darcy Peabody ‘13.
Landing the Impossible Internship
This semester, Peabody, who hails from Walpole, MA, has been working alongside Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Gardner Museum, in the ongoing investigation to recover thirteen priceless works of art that were taken more than two decades ago. She is the first-ever Investigative Intern because of her “incredible work ethic and unmatched drive” as described by Amore. Her interest in the case was obvious from day one when she visited the museum.
“Darcy came to me in the fall 2011 to talk about her Honor Scholars project on the theft,” recalls Amore. “The following summer, she talked to me about internships and I suggested that she intern here. I knew she was the right person for the job and told human resources, ‘if you don’t choose her then I don’t want to have an intern.’”
The Honor Scholars Program at Mount Ida is for highly motivated students with GPA’s of 3.5 or higher, who wish to complement their major with deeper, interdisciplinary study and exploration, including three projects, and a senior colloquium. For Peabody’s project, she was examining the Garner Museum Heist, looking at how the case has changed over the years with expert research, forensic tests, public information, and increased insight into the inner workings of the crime.
Becoming an Investigative Expert
As a graduating senior, Peabody has learned a lot about herself at the museum. For instance, she knows that she wants to have a criminal justice career in Boston and plans to further her education with graduate school. During this internship, she has also become an expert on one of the most important aspects of crime investigation: confidentiality.
“I’ve seen countless records and facts about the case,” said Peabody. “There are many details that I have to keep to myself for the rest of my life and I feel honored to have been given this opportunity. I have an advantage in working on this unsolved case since everybody knows about it somehow.”
Individualizing Career Paths
“Darcy has brought order to chaos and refined processes that used to be unimaginable for one person,” stated Amore. “I can’t make Darcy go to lunch, which is a testament to her work ethic. All of the other museum employees come to my office, look through my glass window, and want my intern because she has set the bar extraordinarily high.”
As Peabody’s internship comes to a close, she is proud that she didn’t settle for just any internship. She found an internship and made it her own. In researching leads, connecting data, and digging for intel, Peabody has truly paved her way into the field of criminal justice.
“It’s important for students to get involved while on campus,” added Peabody. “If I didn’t do the Honor Scholars program, my internship probably wouldn’t have happened. This project turned into an internship and could turn into ideas for my future career.”