Mistrial for US man who snapped off thumb of US$4.5 million Chinese terracotta warrior at Philadelphia museum
- The man was attending a Christmas-themed ugly jumper party at the museum in December 2017 when he entered a closed exhibit of Chinese terracotta warrior statues
- His lawyer argued that the ‘charges were made for art thieves’ but he was just ‘a drunk kid’
A jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a Delaware man who admitted he broke a thumb off a US$4.5 million statue at a Philadelphia museum.
Michael Rohana was attending a Christmas-themed ugly jumper party at the Franklin Institute in December 2017 when he entered a closed exhibit of ancient Chinese terracotta warrior statues.
Authorities said Rohana, 25, took photos while posing next to a statue known as “The Cavalryman”, then removed the valuable relic’s left thumb and made off with it. The incident was captured by surveillance cameras.
The vandalism outraged Chinese officials.
Though Rohana did not deny he snapped off the digit and took it home, a jury deadlocked Tuesday on charges of theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Rohana’s lawyers argued he wasn’t charged under the right law.