Sad New Details Emerge In The Saga Of Dorothy’s Stolen Ruby Slippers

In 2005, a pair of slippers worn by actress Judy Garland in the classic film “The Wizard Of Oz” was stolen from a museum in her Minnesota hometown. And that was just the start of a mystery that continues to this day — despite some recent revelations that shed additional light on the case.

Fessing up

The slippers were not recovered until 2018 when FBI agents were able to locate them, and the investigation led to the arrest of Terry Jon Martin, who is now 76 years old and in failing health.

He recently pleaded guilty to the theft charge against him as part of an agreement that is expected to allow him to avoid spending his final days behind bars.

Martin provided testimony that cleared up a few things about the crime. As he told the court, he smashed the display case with a hammer and, believing the shoes were adorned with real rubies, planned to sell them.

At some point, however, he was informed that they were just glass and he essentially lost interest in them.

His confession represented a different motive than the prevailing theory, i.e., the slippers were stolen as part of an insurance scam.

Unanswered questions

As Dane DeKrey, the thief’s attorney, explained in court: “Terry has no idea where they were and how they were recovered. His involvement was that two-day period in 2005.”

That means the slippers’ whereabouts for more than a decade (and even how the FBI ultimately recovered them) remain shrouded in mystery.

And for Martin, there’s another big question mark surrounding the case. A sentencing hearing is set for later this year, and it’s still not clear whether the judge will honor DeKrey’s request that the elderly criminal be allowed to live out the time he has left at home.

Chris Agee January 23rd, 2024

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