US man pleads guilty to stealing ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers, says he thought gems were real
- Terry Martin, 76, says he took the shoes from the Judy Garland Museum 18 years ago because he didn’t know the precious stones were actually glass
- At the time of the theft the shoes were insured for US$1 million but their current value is around US$3.5 million
An elderly US man pleaded guilty Friday to the theft nearly 20 years ago of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in the classic film The Wizard of Oz.
The sequinned shoes – indelibly associated with the character Dorothy clicking them together and saying repeatedly, “there’s no place like home” – were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in the actress’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
The footwear was recovered in an FBI sting in 2018 and Terry Martin, 76, was charged with the theft in May this year.
Martin pleaded guilty to one count of theft of major artwork, and he remains free until his sentencing date which has not yet been set, the US Justice Department office in North Dakota said.
Martin told a Minnesota court on Friday that he had used a sledgehammer to smash a Plexiglas case and stolen the slippers because he mistakenly believed they were made with valuable ruby gems.