The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Airbnb host said guest stole artwork, hung new painting. The internet rushed to help

By Sydney Page

03 May 2023 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

A baffling Airbnb art heist goes viral: The Washington Post reports on the curious case of a replaced painting, ensuing theories, and an unexpected boost for a local nonprofit.

Amy Corbett was in a Zoom meeting when she spotted something strange in her own background. The black-and-white painting of a map that normally hung above her couch was no longer there. Instead, it had been replaced with a painting of an airplane propeller, a painting she had never seen before.

"It freaked me out," said Corbett, who is an Airbnb host, and had rented her apartment in Lynchburg, Va., in mid-April. Could her guest have hung a different painting in place of her map?

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