In The Wizard of Oz, a wicked witch tries to steal her deceased sister’s ruby slippers gifted by Glinda the Good Witch to Dorothy.
But a real-life similar situation paralleled the film after the same shoes were stolen from a museum. Nineteen years later, the reformed mobster who stole Judy Garland‘s ruby slippers revealed his mysterious motive to his attorney.
The Wizard of Oz’s Judy Garland wore many pairs of ruby slippers during filming, but only four pairs remain. Federal prosecutors estimated the market value of the renowned shoes was at $3.5 million, even though they were insured at $1 million.
The Washington Times reported Terry Jon Martin pled guilty in October to breaking into the Judy Garland Museum in 2005. Through smashing the display case, he stole the ruby slippers worn by Garland in the 1939 film. In 2018, the FBI retrieved them after someone tried to claim an insurance reward on them. However, authorities charged Martin for the theft only last year.
Terry Jon Martin’s attorney Dane DeKrey revealed in a memo his client had plans to sell the shoe’s real rubies. However, a fence (a person who deals in stolen goods) informed him that the rubies were actually glass. Martin ultimately got rid of the shoes less than two days later.
Martin’s defense attorney said his client apparently hadn’t committed a crime in nearly a decade. It wasn’t until an unidentified former mob associate tempted him to steal the ruby slippers that his old patterns resurfaced.
“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,” wrote DeKrey. “After much contemplation, Terry had a criminal relapse and decided to participate in the theft.”
What Will Happen to the Reformed Mobster Who Stole Judy Garland’s Ruby Slippers?
Terry Jon Martin’s scheduled sentencing is on January 29th in Duluth, Minnesota. At 76 years old facing chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, he’s in hospice care with less than six months to live. The former mobster needed oxygen at all times and was in a wheelchair at his last courtroom appearance.
Defense Attorney DeKrey has been urging the judge to give his client a lenient sentence, arguing his poor health could justify a compassionate release. He argued his client hadn’t committed a crime in nearly a decade before the theft, or even tried to collect the insurance reward money — unlike his former associates attempted to do.
Claiming no knowledge of the cultural importance of the ruby slippers and not having seen The Wizard of Oz, Terry Jon Martin was just looking for one final score.
You can watch The Wizard of Oz, one of the best classic novel-adapted films, now on your Max subscription.
