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The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh

Explore episode Jun 28, 2026

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Durham's Redemption and the Odd-Couple Legacy

At 27:41 · chapter starts 26:15

Given his past and his fraught relationship with police, Durham was kept away from the handover. But when he heard the news, his response was pure, unfiltered delight. As he told Rossman: 'All the people say, hey, you stole two paintings and Van Gogh did this, Van Gogh that. Now I bring one back — shut up.' Brand recounts a funny postscript: walking in the neighbourhood one day, a woman recognised Brand as the detective who recovered a Picasso. When Brand pointed out that the man beside him was Octave Durham — the one who stole the two Van Goghs — she turned pale and went inside. For Durham, the partnership has given him something he didn't expect: purpose. He's still involved in the world of crime, he says — just on the right side of it. Rossman reflects on the deeper truth of their collaboration: neither man pretends the other's past away. Brand doesn't excuse the theft; Durham doesn't pretend Brand isn't close to police. The tension between those two facts is exactly what made the recovery possible.

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