The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently reported that a 76-year-old man, Terry J. Martin, has been indicted for the 2005 theft of Judy Garland’s iconic Wizard of Oz (1939) ruby slippers. The Minnesota federal grand jury charged Martin with theft in connection with a nighttime heist at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
The stolen slippers were recovered during a FBI sting operation and have remained in federal custody. At the time of the robbery, the slippers were insured for $1 million and are currently valued at $3.5 million
This isn’t Martin’s first time involved with stolen items. In 1988, Martin was convicted and sent to prison in Hennepin County for allegedly receiving stolen artwork. Martin was also charged for robbery, aggravated assault, and burglary in the 1960s and 1970s.
Martin told the Star Tribune via a phone call on Wednesday, “I gotta go on trial. I don’t want to talk to you.”
Attorney Craig Cascarano, who previously represented Martin in an alleged acquitted case of dozens of stolen fur coats, stated “I’d be happy to represent him again.”
Janie Heitz, the executive director at the Judy Garland Museum, expressed relief about the recovered shoes and revealed a replica pair is currently on display until the FBI returns the shoes.
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