Judy Garland's iconic red slippers from the equally beloved "The Wizard of Oz" were recovered in 2018 after being stolen more than 10 years earlier from a museum in Minnesota, as the FBI announced at the time. In 2005, someone broke into the Judy Garland Museum (located within the late actor's childhood home in Grand Rapids) and took one of the most recognizable pairs of shoes in American history. There was no security footage or fingerprints at the scene, just a single red sequin. As the police had little to work with, a private donor offered a $1 million reward to anyone able to provide their whereabouts, per The New York Times.
After years of tips that led nowhere, a promising call came in 2017 from a person claiming to know where the ruby-red heels were. However, it turned out to be a cynical extortion attempt. A year-long undercover sting operation ensued, and the shoes were finally located. "Recovering a cultural item of this importance is significant. So many people of all ages around the world have seen 'The Wizard of Oz' and, in that way, have some connection to the slippers," FBI Special Agent Christopher Dudley noted.
Five years later, Terry Martin was "charged with one count of theft of major artwork," according to a press release from North Dakota's District Attorney's Office. The slippers' worth has more than tripled, valuing them at around $3.5 million in 2023.
