Current:Home > MyWho stole Judy Garland's red ruby slippers in 2005? The 'Wizard of Oz' theft case explained-InfoLens
Who stole Judy Garland's red ruby slippers in 2005? The 'Wizard of Oz' theft case explained
View Date:2024-12-23 12:07:14
Nearly 20 years since the initial heist, the case of the infamous theft of the "Wizard of Oz" ruby red slippers from the Judy Garland Museum continues to unfold.
The original man charged with the theft, an ailing mobster named Terry Jon Martin, was finally sentenced in January of this year, while a second man was charged just this month with involvement in the crime.
Martin, 76, was recently given a sentence that allowed him to skip prison time due to his failing health. Martin confessed in October 2023 to stealing the shoes from the museum in the actress' hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005. He was charged with theft of a major artwork.
The second man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, MN, made his first court appearance on Friday, March 15. Like Martin, he appeared to be suffering from failing health, appearing in front of the judge with an oxygen tank and in a wheelchair, reported the Associated Press. He is charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.
'No place like home':Dying mobster who stole 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers won't go to prison
Saliterman allegedly threatened witness, concealed 'Wizard of Oz' slippers
According to the indictment unsealed on Sunday, Saliterman was involved in the theft from its occurrence in August 2005 up until the FBI recovered the slippers in July 2018. Saliterman allegedly "received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage worth at least $100,000," accused the indictment, including "an authentic pair of 'ruby slippers' worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie 'The Wizard of Oz.'"
The indictment also claims that Saliterman intimidated a witness to prevent her from speaking with the FBI, allegedly threatening to "take her down with him" and "distribute sex tapes of her to her family."
Saliterman did not enter a plea at his Friday appearance and was released on his own recognizance. John Brink, Saliterman's attorney, told AP after the hearing that his client was not guilty and "hadn't done anything wrong."
Terry Jon Martin's role in 2005 theft of Judy Garland's ruby red slippers
The slippers, one of four known pairs worn by Garland during the filming of "The Wizard of Oz," were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in August of 2005 when they went missing.
They were lifted in the middle of the night, police said at the time. Later, Martin's attorney released a memo describing the crime, saying Martin had discovered the shoes, which he believed to be adorned with real rubies, were on display close to where he lived.
Thinking they would secure a "handsome price" on the black market, Martin, who had never even seen "The Wizard of Oz" and who said he was unaware of their cultural significance, said he easily stole the slippers by breaking a hole in a window to the museum and then breaking the plexiglass the slippers were displayed behind.
The memo claimed that Martin only had the slippers for two days before realizing the attached gems were fake. He said he gave them to an associate for no pay, thinking them worthless, and apparently swore off crime after this final "failed' heist.
FBI gets the famous ruby red slippers back 13 years later
From there, investigators spent 13 years chasing down leads, many of which came flooding in over the years from across the country and beyond.
Finally, in 2018, a man contacted the company that had insured the slippers and said he had information on how the shoes could be returned. They were later recovered in an FBI sting operation at the end of a year-long investigation.
The slippers were taken to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where they were identified as a "traveling pair" that were insured for $1 million and appraised at $3.5 million for their value as "among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of North Dakota.
Contributing: The Associated Press
veryGood! (95977)
Related
- Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
- 'I'm just grateful': Micropreemie baby born at 1 pound is finally going home after a long fight
- Why Nicola Coughlan's Sex Scenes in Bridgerton Season 3 Are a F--k You to Body Shamers
- EA Sports College Football 25 will be released July 19, cover stars unveiled
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- College professor to stand trial in death of pro-Israel counter-protester last year
- Bones found in 1989 in a Wisconsin chimney identified as man who last contacted relatives in 1970
- Theft of more than 400 vehicles in Michigan leads to the arrest of 6 men
- California voters reject proposed ban on forced prison labor in any form
- New York Giants reveal 'Century Red' uniforms ... and they are not spectacular
Ranking
- California teen pleads guilty in Florida to making hundreds of ‘swatting’ calls across the US
- The UK’s opposition Labour Party unveils its pledges to voters in hopes of winning the next election
- Sen. Bob Menendez reveals his wife has breast cancer as presentation of evidence begins at his trial
- 'I'm just grateful': Micropreemie baby born at 1 pound is finally going home after a long fight
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Brothers accused of masterminding 12-second scheme to steal $25M in cryptocurrency
- House panel considers holding Garland in contempt as Biden asserts privilege over recordings
- Brown pelicans found 'starving to death' on California coast: Why it could be happening
Recommendation
-
Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother
-
Kevin Spacey says he's 'enormously pleased' amid support from Sharon Stone, Liam Neeson
-
All things being equal, Mystik Dan should win Preakness. But all things are not equal.
-
Funeral set for Roger Fortson, the Black US Air Force member killed in his home by Florida deputy
-
Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
-
Former NBA standout Stephon Marbury now visits Madison Square Garden to cheer on Knicks
-
US military says first aid shipment has been driven across a newly built US pier into the Gaza Strip
-
UN resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia sparks opposition from Serbs