Stolen treasure trove could take year to ID
Seized items include 15th century book
Police say it could take a year or longer to work through the hundreds of antique and historic items seized in an investigation into stolen goods.
John Mark Tillman of Fall River is facing 29 charges, including theft and possession of stolen property.
To view the full list of allegedly stolen artifacts, visit the RCMP's website
Police now say the number of items seized in connection with the case has reached 2,000.
RCMP Sergeant Colin MacLean said it's a huge job to track down where the artifacts came from and to whom they belong.
"You know I think we said back in January that it would take months but I think we’re looking at more than that now, it could take a year or more. It’s taken a long time so far and we’ve only really scratched the surface," he said.
Tillman’s son, 23-year-old Kyle Tillman, is also charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and possession of stolen property in relation to the case.
Some of the objects of note include a letter from George Washington written before the American Revolution, which had been taken from Dalhousie University Library Archives.
The thefts also included rare editions of books such as Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, a full suit of armour, and a W.H. Yorke painting worth as much as $40,000.
Police say they have also found a book of philosophy by Boethius — a sixth-century Roman philosopher — that was published in the late 1490s.
Police said the goods were taken from several universities, museums and private collections and are worth around $1 million. They think Tillman built the collection up over two decades.