Grand Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Ruby Slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” Museum
DULUTH, Minn. — Terry Martin, a 76-year-old man from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has changed his plea to guilty in connection to the theft of a pair of ruby slippers from the iconic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Martin appeared in a Duluth federal courtroom on Friday, where he admitted to stealing the shoes from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005.
Martin, who previously pleaded not guilty to the charge in June, confessed to using a small sledgehammer to break into the museum. He then cracked the case the slippers were in and made off with them. Martin stated that he did not hear any alarm and managed to escape in his car. He stored the stolen slippers in a trailer adjacent to his home.
In 2005, Martin sold the slippers to a “jewelry fence,” a criminal who buys and resells stolen goods. It was later revealed to him that the shoes were not made of real rubies but were instead made of glass. At some point, Martin gave the shoes to someone else, though it remains unclear if it was the fence or another person. He claims to have had no contact with the slippers after that.
Martin, who is being represented by a public defender, had been released prior to the trial with certain conditions. As part of the plea agreement, both sides have agreed to a sentence of time served due to Martin’s advanced COPD, for which he is in hospice care. The judge will make the final decision on the sentence during the upcoming sentencing, which is expected to take place in the next few months.
Criminal defense attorney Dane DeKrey, who is not involved in this case, believes that Martin’s declining health significantly influenced his decision to change his plea. DeKrey stated, “I think he wanted to take responsibility and move on with his life — the little life he has left.” Martin has refused to disclose the identity of the jewelry fence or any potential accomplices.
The stolen ruby slippers, owned by collector Michael Shaw, were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum at the time of the theft. They were successfully recovered by the FBI in 2018 following a sting operation and were returned to Shaw. Shaw confirmed that the slippers were as “pristine” as they were before the theft. The authenticity of the slippers was verified by researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., where one of the four remaining pairs is currently on display. The slippers were insured for $1 million but may now be worth more than triple that amount.
John Kelsch, curator of the Judy Garland Museum, expressed some closure with Martin’s guilty plea but still wants to know what happened to the slippers after they were let go. Kelsch emphasized that the value of the slippers lies not in their ruby composition but rather as an American and national treasure. He found it absurd that they were stolen without understanding their true worth.
Frances Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, was born in Minnesota in 1922 and spent her early years in Grand Rapids before her family relocated to southern California. At the age of 16, Garland donned the ruby slippers for her iconic role as Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz.”
The sentencing for Terry Martin’s guilty plea is anticipated to provide more clarity on his punishment and the fate of the stolen ruby slippers.