Terry Jon Martin, ailing mobster, was sentenced for the theft of Judy Garland's ruby red slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005, while a second man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, was recently charged with involvement in the crime. Saliterman allegedly received, concealed, and disposed of the slippers and intimidated a witness to prevent her from speaking with the FBI. The slippers were recovered in 2018 after a year-long FBI investigation and were identified as a valuable piece of American film history.
Terry Jon Martin, a dying ex-mobster, has been spared prison time after admitting to stealing the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz. Martin, who is in hospice care with a life expectancy of six months, pleaded guilty to theft of a major artwork and struck a plea deal for time served. He claimed an old mob associate convinced him to carry out the heist in 2005, and his lawyers argued for leniency citing his lack of criminal activity in nearly 10 years. Martin admitted to smashing the museum display case with a hammer to take the slippers, which were insured for $1m, but got rid of them days later when he realized the rubies were actually made of glass.
Terry Jon Martin, 76, admitted to stealing the iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz as "one last score" after being convinced by an old mob associate, despite having given up a life of crime for nearly a decade. His defense lawyer revealed in a sentencing memo that Martin, who had never seen the movie and was unaware of the slippers' cultural significance, took the shoes from a museum in 2005, only to later discover they were not adorned with real gemstones. His lawyers are requesting that he be kept out of prison due to his poor health, as he is currently in hospice care with a life expectancy of six months.
The motive for the 2005 theft of Judy Garland's iconic ruby red slippers has been revealed in court documents, with thief Terry Jon Martin admitting to stealing them after being led to believe they contained real jewels. Martin, who is facing sentencing, pleaded guilty to using a hammer to steal the shoes and got rid of them after learning the rubies were glass. His defense attorney revealed that an old mob associate tempted Martin to participate in the heist, despite his decade-long absence from crime, and Martin is now in hospice care with a life expectancy of less than six months.
Terry Jon Martin, the man charged with stealing a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, is expected to plead guilty in court. The shoes were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum and recovered in 2018. Martin, who has a previous conviction for receiving stolen goods, is cooperating with authorities. The slippers are one of four remaining authentic pairs and have an estimated value of $3.5 million. Sentencing is expected to take place in approximately three months.
Terry Jon Martin, a 76-year-old man from Grand Rapids, has been charged with stealing the iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids more than 15 years ago. The slippers, worth at least $100,000, were recovered during a sting operation in Minneapolis in 2018 and were found to be authentic by conservators at the Smithsonian. Martin has a previous felony conviction for receiving stolen goods.
