MN Man Charged In Theft Of Ruby Slippers From 'Wizard Of Oz'

GRAND RAPIDS, MN — A Minnesota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the theft of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Terry Martin was charged with one count of theft of major artwork.

The famous shoes had been missing since 2005, but the FBI said it recovered them in 2018 through a sting operation. No arrests were made at the time, however.

Authorities say Martin stole the slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005. They were on loan to the museum from Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw.

The slippers were insured for $1 million when they were stolen, but they're now valued at $3.5 million, according to prosecutors.

The ruby slippers are one of the four remaining pairs that were used in the film. The stolen shoes — known as the "traveling pair" — are among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history.

The three other remaining pairs are held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian, and a private collector.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story