18 May 2023 , 13:44
383
0
A Minnesota man has been indicted for stealing the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz almost two decades ago.
The famous footwear worn by Judy Garland in the iconic production went missing from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005 and were only recovered in 2018.
They were insured for $1million at the time, although they are currently said to boast a market appraisal value of $3.5million.
Now, Terry Martin has been indicted by a grand jury with one count of theft of a major artwork, federal prosecutors in North Dakota have confirmed.
It alleges that Martin stole the items - which were worn by Judy's character Dorothy in the 1939 production - after they had been loaned to the museum which is located in Judy's hometown.
Queen's sister offended major Hollywood stars and was 'barred' from US
(Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)It was reported that someone had climbed through a window of the property and broke through the display case.
When investigators first began working on the case they put out a number of rewards for the return of the items. At one stage the reward by law enforcement was $250,000, while an anonymous donor also put up a $1million offer in 2015.
In 2018, the slippers were finally recovered by the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department.
The items are one of only four remaining pairs from the production and are one of the most recognisable piece of memorabilia in American film history.
Jack Haley, Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr in The Wizard Of Oz in 1939 (Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)They are best remembered for a scene in which Judy mutters the iconic lines "there's no place like home" as she clicks her heals to be transported back to Kansas.
Speaking to the Associated Press, the executive director of the Judy Garland Museum explained they were "a little bit speechless" someone had finally been charged with the crime.
Janie Heitz confessed she hopes the items will eventually make their way back to the museum when the case is closed.
The owner of the shoes was Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who received an insurance payout following the theft.