Brand and Durham were at a famous Dutch TV presenter's birthday party when Brand got a text: 'I see you.' The informant was hiding behind a tree in the garden, checking for police. Only Durham's video endorsement had brought him that far.
Where this was said
At 23:20 · chapter starts 22:20
After the police arrest the thief in 2021, the painting itself remains missing for two more years. Then, in late summer 2023, Brand receives a mysterious text from an unknown number: 'Mr Brand, do you have the code of silence?' The sender says he wasn't involved in the heist but knows where the painting is and wants to be rid of it. [1] — Octave Durham "The informant who knew where the Van Gogh was hidden refused to trust Brand — a man known to work with police. Only when Durham sent a vide…" 22:20 Brand tries to respond, but the message doesn't go through — the informant has apparently blocked him. Realising this man will only trust someone from his own world, Brand asks Durham to send a short video endorsement on his behalf. Durham records a simple message: he doesn't know who this person is, but if they spoke to Arthur, he can guarantee no arrests and no police — just a recovery. The informant, who already knew Durham's reputation, finally responds. Days later, Brand and Durham are at a Dutch TV presenter's birthday party when Brand receives a text: 'I see you.' He looks around. 'Behind that tree.' The informant had been watching from the garden, checking for police. When Brand approached, the man explained: Brand's own reputation wasn't enough — but once he saw Durham's clip, he knew it was safe.
The informant who knew where the Van Gogh was hidden refused to trust Brand — a man known to work with police. Only when Durham sent a video vouching for Brand did the terrified informant agree to return the painting. A thief's word opened the door no detective could.
The informant arrived at Brand's door with a blue IKEA bag. Inside wasn't a painting at first glance — it was a pillowcase soaked in blood. The informant had cut his finger packing it. Beneath the pillow was the Van Gogh, recovered after more than three years.
A man used ChatGPT as a de facto lawyer, sharing self-incriminating details in his chats. When the transcripts were subpoenaed, the judge ruled no attorney-client privilege applied and admitted the chats as evidence against him. AI first passes are useful — treating AI as your counsel is dangerous.
CIA operative Edwin Wilson armed Muammar Gaddafi with 10,000 machine guns and 20 tons of C4 hidden in barrels of mud and flew them to Libya himself. He was sentenced to 52 years and served 12 in solitary. He was also a founder of the same arms network Oliver North contracted for the Contras.
Kim Dotcom's legal nightmare had nothing to do with copyright infringement. He donated to WikiLeaks and Julian Assange — and the US government charged him under RICO statutes, seeking 186 years in prison as payback.
More than a decade after his indictment, the US is still trying to extradite Kim Dotcom from New Zealand — even after he suffered a stroke. He cannot be convinced the authorities are on his side; only the legal process, run by his lawyers, keeps him free.
The illegal wildlife trade and the drug trade aren't just parallel industries — they actively overlap. Smugglers force-fed cocaine to boa constrictors to evade customs, packed drugs beneath layers of live animals in crates with spitting cobras on top, and exploited the chronic under-resourcing of US Fish and Wildlife inspection teams.
Mario Tabraue was sentenced to over 100 years in prison for murder and drug trafficking. He served 12. Nobody — not even the DEA agent who put him there — knows why he got out. That agent, Larry Lovelace, now lives in rural West Virginia with a gun within reach every night, still expecting retaliation.
Anson Wong from Malaysia was the Pablo Escobar of the global reptile trade, supplying rare animals — including Komodo dragons — to buyers across the world. He was caught in a sting, extradited to the US, and served the longest wildlife crime sentence at the time. The animals seized from him went on to stock some of America's biggest zoos.
Zelig Williams landed a role in Hamilton at just 19 while still in college — a rare achievement in a world where most Broadway dreams die young. By 28 he was a veteran ready to mentor the next generation, until he disappeared without a trace on October 3, 2024.
Season 5 of Dateline: Missing in America brings six new unsolved mysteries. The show is explicitly asking listeners to engage — because a detail someone remembers might be the break investigators need.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.