Elderly man could face 12 years in prison for stealing shoes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Elderly man aged 76 pleaded guilty to the theft of ruby ​​slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The position was made at a hearing last Friday, the 13th, and is another chapter in a case that began in 2005, when the piece of art was taken from the Judy Garland Museum.

It was only in 2018 that the FBI recovered the pair of shoes. Terry Martin, responsible for the theft, admitted that he thought the costume was covered in rubies, but in fact, it was covered in glass material. It has not been revealed to this day how investigators reached Martin and how the operation was conducted. Although not made of precious stones, the shoes are estimated to be worth around $3.5 million.

The judge Patrick Schiltz said non-binding federal sentencing guidelines recommend 10 to 12 years in similar cases. According to the defense lawyer, Dane DeKrey, the accused “is facing his own mortality.” “I think when people are getting to that point in life, they do without the pleasantries and tell the truth,” he added.