‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers: Alleged thief plans to plead guilty

Minneapolis –

A man accused of concealing a stolen pair of sequined ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the iconic movie “The Wizard of Oz” has indicated his intention to plead guilty, as confirmed by his attorney on Friday.

The slippers were taken in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. For nearly 13 years, their whereabouts remained unknown until the FBI located them in 2018. Recently, they were sold at auction for a record-breaking $32.5 million, but the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed.

Jerry Hal Saliterman, who is now 77 years old and resides in Crystal, Minnesota, was charged last year with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.

While he is expected to initially plead not guilty during his arraignment before a federal magistrate judge on Monday, it has been scheduled for a change of plea hearing on Jan. 10 before the district judge overseeing the case.

Saliterman’s attorney, John C. Brink, has confirmed that his client will change his plea to guilty during the hearing, although specific details about any potential plea agreement have not been disclosed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for North Dakota, which is handling the case, has declined to comment.

Jerry Hal Saliterman, of Crystal, Minn., is wheeled out of U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., Friday, March 15, 2024, (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)

The individual who initially stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, also 77 years old, pleaded guilty in 2023 to theft of a major artwork, admitting to his involvement in what his attorney described as a final criminal act after transitioning away from a life of crime. Due to his poor health, he was sentenced to time served in January of last year.

According to the indictment against Saliterman, he was involved in receiving, concealing, and disposing of the stolen cultural artifact from August 2005 to July 2018, being aware of the stolen nature of the slippers.

Saliterman, like Martin, is also in poor health, requiring a wheelchair and supplemental oxygen during his court appearance last year.

The connection between Martin and Saliterman has not been explicitly stated by authorities. Martin indicated during his plea hearing in October 2023 that he had intended to sell what he believed to be genuine rubies from the shoes. However, after being informed by a fence that the rubies were not authentic, Martin did not disclose how he disposed of the slippers.

Dorothy, Garland’s character in “The Wizard of Oz,” wore multiple pairs of ruby slippers during the filming of the 1939 musical, with only four pairs known to exist today. One of the pairs was loaned to the museum by Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw before it was stolen by Martin. Shaw eventually reclaimed the slippers and had them auctioned off last month.

Born Frances Gumm in 1922, Garland spent her early years in Grand Rapids, located approximately 200 miles north of Minneapolis, before achieving fame. She passed away in 1969. The Judy Garland Museum boasts the largest collection of Garland and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia in the world.