On October 29, 1964, Allan Dale Kuhn and Jack Roland Murphy, known as “Murf the Surf,” broke into the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, stealing 24 gems worth millions of dollars. The stolen jewels included the Star of India, a 563.35-carat sapphire, the DeLong Star Ruby, a 100.32-carat ruby, and the Midnight Star, a 116-carat black sapphire. The heist was the largest jewel theft in U.S. history and revealed the shockingly lax security at the museum, as the thieves were able to scale a fence, use a fire escape, and break into display cases with low-tech tools like a glass cutter, duct tape, and a squeegee.
Despite their youth and lack of criminal experience, Murphy and Kuhn left little evidence for investigators to work with. They were not caught until they fell victim to their own greed, leading to their lavish spending being reported to the police. The thieves, along with their getaway driver Clark, were eventually captured and arrested, and all three men were tried for the jewel heist. The stolen gems were partially recovered in January 1965 from a Miami bus terminal, with the Star of India being among the recovered items. The DeLong Ruby, however, remained missing until September 1965 when it was returned in exchange for a ransom of $25,000.
As a result of the heist, the American Museum of Natural History significantly improved its security procedures to prevent future thefts. The museum’s response included ensuring that burglar alarms were functional, securing windows with alarms, and reinstating the overnight security guard to protect the valuable gems. Kuhn, Murphy, and Clark all pleaded guilty to their roles in the theft and were sentenced to three years at Rikers Island Correctional Facility in New York on April 6, 1965. The story of the heist was later adapted into a film titled “Murf the Surf,” also known as “Live a Little, Steal a Lot.”
The theft at the American Museum of Natural History remains one of the most notorious jewel heists in U.S. history, highlighting vulnerabilities in security measures and leading to a costly lesson for the museum. While the stolen gems were partially recovered, the recovery process involved negotiation and a ransom payment, underscoring the high stakes involved in such criminal activities. The heist also serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of greed and the lengths to which some individuals will go to satisfy it. Overall, the event significantly impacted both the museum’s security procedures and the lives of the perpetrators, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of criminal activity in the United States.
