Stolen artifacts remain the victims’ property regardless of who holds them

Evidence

But Murray’s essay helped me understand two profound truths: Harvard does not have good title to the artifacts, which are in fact the proceeds of a criminal act. Property appropriated from Renty and Delia does not belong to those who stole it from them. It should go back to the victims, or their descendants. — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 669

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the doctrinal claim running through the whole book: bad title in stolen chattel does not ripen into ownership, even with centuries of possession.
• XREF: Connects to the property-law-as-afterlife-of-slavery thesis — echoes how the same logic underlies other stolen-object restitution claims (Benin bronzes, Parthenon marbles).