[livius]

If the thieves knew what they were stealing (which it seems they or whoever commissioned them did), they don’t steal on spec. They’ve already got a buyer for it, and in fact, it’s probably sitting in his living room right now.

There’s a slight chance that they were just thugs who thought they’d get a few bucks for a violin and Almond was the first person who happened along with a violin, of course, in which case it could be anywhere. But normally when something like this is stolen, it’s stolen by another collector or by a nutcase who feels that he is the only one who really understands it and can really take care of it. The heirs might try to sell it, but he won’t, generally.

[Mr. K]

I suspect the violinist. He has a shifty look about him...

[Sacajaweau]

Undoubtedly Sean Connery got a new gig.

[Mygirlsmom]

But normally when something like this is stolen, it’s stolen by another collector or by a nutcase who feels that he is the only one who really understands it and can really take care of it. The heirs might try to sell it, but he won’t, generally.

I'm not saying this is the case, but in some instances, it's the owner attempting to collect on an insurance policy.

Regardless, I would bet that the perps were not the ones who crafted this scheme. They were probably hired by someone to steal the violin.

[Milton Miteybad]

I was surprised to see that there are several Stradivarii classified as stolen or missing, in addition to Lipinski (also Colossus, Davidoff-Morini, Ames, Lamoureux, Karpilowski, and Le Maurien.)

Others have been stolen, but were later recovered, such as Gibson-Huberman (stolen twice from Huberman, who apparently couldn't keep track of his violin), Kochanski, Sinsheimer-Iselin, Birsou', Duke of Alcantara (missing for 27 years, recovered by an amateur violinist who claimed to have found it on a freeway), and Herkules.

So, while the common assumption that all of the Stradivarius the instruments may be accounted for is nominally true, the whereabouts of several are uncertain at present.

[grumpygresh]

This thing would be nearly impossible to resell. It almost has to be a nut job billionaire that ordered the theft.
Look for a fake strad to turn up smashed to bits to throw investigators off. Customs and TSA agents are probably going to harass violinists and kids in school orchestras when they travel for the next few months.
Too bad this thing happened. Smuggling out expensive violins was one way people had to get money out of the country.