The FBI sting behind stolen Wizard of Oz ruby slippers that sold for $28,000,000-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

The famed red ruby slippers were stolen and went missing for 13 years (Pictures: Rex)

The Wizard of Oz’s red ruby slippers are arguably the most iconic piece of film costuming of all time.

In the classic 1939 musical, Judy Garland’s Dorothy dons the slippers and clicks her heels three times while repeating ‘There’s no place like home’ to return to Kansas from Oz.

The starlet wore several pairs during the production of the ground-breaking film, with only four pairs thought to remain.

One such pair sold at auction on December 7 for a whopping $28million (£21.9million) to a private buyer after being estimated at $3m (£2.3m).

Dubbed the ‘Holy Grail of Hollywood memorabilia’ by auctioneers, BBC reported there was applause in the auction room when the slippers sold.

This particular piece of film history is darker than most after the legendary props were stolen and went missing for more than a decade, only to be retrieved during an intricate FBI sting.

Here, we look at the daring theft of the valuable footwear, how it was retrieved, and what happened to the men behind the crime.

Who stole the Wizard of Oz red ruby slippers?

In 2005, professional thief Terry Jon Martin stole one of four remaining pairs of ruby slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The iconic film props were stolen in 2005 after Terry Jon Martin believed they were covered with real gemstones (Picture: ZacharyCulpin/Bournemouth News/S)

The slippers were loaned to the museum in 2005 by movie memorabilia collector Michael Shaw.

Martin used a hammer to smash the case which contained the slippers in a bid to sell them, believing their estimated $1m (£782,000) value was because they were covered in real gemstones.

When he took the slippers to ‘fence’ Jerry Hal Saliterman – an intermediary who sells stolen goods to discreet buyers – Martin discovered that the ‘rubies’ were actually made of glass.

His attorney, Dane DeKrey, later revealed that Martin simply passed the slippers on and for 13 years their whereabouts remained unknown.

Police initially offered a $250k (£195k) reward for any information leading to their return, and an anonymous donor offered a further $1m (£782k) to anyone who could provide the name of the thief and the slippers’ location.

In 2018, the FBI retrieved the slippers in Minnesota during a sting operation following a tip the year prior.

Judy Garland wore the shoes in some of the 1939 film’s most iconic scenes (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)

Their location was unknown for 13 years until they were recovered by the FBI (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)

It was reported that an individual approached the slippers’ insurance company claiming they had information about the shoes and how they could be returned.

The company contacted police after it became clear they were attempting to extort the owners of the slippers.

In May 2023, Martin was charged with one count of theft of a major artwork.

In court documents, DeKrey wrote: ‘At first, Terry declined the invitation to participate in the heist. But old habits die hard, and the thought of a “final score” kept him up at night.

‘After much contemplation, Terry had a criminal relapse and decided to participate in the theft.’

According to DeKrey, Martin had never seen The Wizard Of Oz and had no idea of the significance of the slippers.

Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him (Picture: AP)

Martin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served.

After the slippers were found, Judy Garland Museum curator John Kelsch told CBS: ‘There’s some closure, and we do know definitely that Terry Jon Martin did break into our museum, but I’d like to know what happened to them after he let them go.’

Saliterman, 76, was also charged in March this year with theft of a major artwork.

In July, it was reported that Saliterman could face additional charges of organised retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft, receiving stolen property and domestic assault.

Where are all of the slippers now?

There are thought to be four authentic pairs of slippers from the Wizard Of Oz remaining.

Four slippers made for the film are known to still exist (Picture: HeritageAuctions/Bournemouth New)

The previously stolen pair sold at auction for $28m ($21.9m) to an unknown buyer.

Another pair are on permanent display at the National Museum of American History, at the Smithsonian in Washington DC

A third pair is owned by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in California, and it has been reported the fourth pair is owned by a private collector.

Designed by Gilbert Adrian, MGM’s chief costume designer, several pairs were made for the production, with some reports claiming up to 10 pairs of the slippers existed at one time.

The slippers aren’t the only original Wizard of Oz memorabilia in the spotlight this month as Wicked star Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in the hit musical, was presented with the original wand used by her character in the original film.

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