The Saga of the Stolen Ruby Slippers From Wizard of Oz Museum Has Finally Ended

In a story that could rival any Hollywood crime thriller, the saga of the stolen ruby ​​slippers worn by Judy Garland in the iconic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” has come to an end with the sentencing (or lack thereof) her) by Terry Jon Martin. .

The 76-year-old man, who is terminally ill, confessed to the robbery in October. According to his lawyers, Martin was motivated by promises of wealth and succumbed to temptation presented by a former associate of a mafia gang. The ruby ​​slippers were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005, and for years little was known about their whereabouts. In 2015, a $1 million reward Information was offered about their whereabouts, but they were still missing. The film industry has a long history of prop theft. One of the golden prop guns from the 1975 Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun,” valued at $136,000, was stolen from Elstree Studios. In another 1964 Bond film, “Goldfinger,” an Aston Martin car went missing, and reports suggest sightings in Boston soon after.

Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley, dressed up as part of The Wizard of Oz 1939. Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images.

Now confined to palliative care and with only months to live, Martin’s sentencing ends an 18-year saga. His admission to having vandalized a display case and intending to sell the stolen sneakers for profit reveals the depth of her desperation and the pull of his criminal past. Despite his involvement, Martin confessed that he had never seen the movie “The Wizard of Oz.”

When U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz handed down the sentence, a mix of justice and compassion permeated the courtroom. Martin’s reliance on oxygen therapy was a stark contrast to his criminal past. The FBI’s recovery of the sneakers in an undercover operation years later marked a turning point in the case, leading to Martin’s arrest.

With the stolen sneakers recovered, the Judy Garland Museum can finally click and move forward, albeit with greater security.

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