Man charged with stealing Wizard of Oz slippers

Share to Google Classroom

A man has been charged by US police for stealing the famous red slippers worn by Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz from 1939.

The stolen slippers, which are incredibly valuable, were discovered during an FBI operation in 2018. They had been taken from a museum back in August 2005, but no arrests were made at that time.

Police have now charged a 76-year-old man named Terry Martin from Minnesota with the theft of this major artwork.

These iconic red slippers are one of only four pairs in the world. They were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, by a thief who broke in through a window at the back of the building. The thief left no fingerprints, and the alarm system did not go off, according to CBS News.

The red slippers hold great significance in The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy taps her heels together and says the famous words, “there’s no place like home,” she is magically transported back to Kansas.

These cherished Hollywood memorabilia items have been valued at $3.5 million, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota. They were insured for $1 million when they were stolen almost 18 years ago.

1
A special group of experts is meeting this week to...
1
Humpback whale calves have been spotted much farther south than...
1
A Yorkshire terrier named Lulu may soon become the world’s...
1
A robot named Revenger has just broken the world record...
1
New Zealand cyclist Dion Smith had an unexpected run-in during...

World & National News

1
A giant dinosaur sculpture in Taupō, New Zealand, has sparked...
1
Heavy rain has caused serious flooding along parts of Australia’s...
1
A team of researchers has discovered a massive 30-year-old fungus...
1
A bronze statue of Melania Trump, the former First Lady...
1
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern delivered the...