Sao Paulo
A 76yearold man claimed to be responsible for stealing the pair of red shoes worn by Judy Garland in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.” The shoes were stolen from the museum named after the actress in 2005 and recovered by the FBI in 2018.
Terry Martin was charged in May this year over the disappearance of the classic object on the feet of the character Dorothy. This week, nearly 20 years after the crime, he pleaded guilty and can now await a hearing at which his sentence will be announced. According to the US Department of Justice in North Dakota, no date has been set yet.
However, prosecutors recommended that Martin should not serve any prison time. He came to court in a wheelchair and with an oxygen tank.
At a court hearing in Minnesota, the actress’ hometown and home of the Judy Garland Museum, Martin said he entered the restaurant with a small hammer and broke the glass protecting the shoes.
Martin also said he realized he no longer wanted the shoes after finding out they were made of glass, not ruby. He got rid of the couple, but it wasn’t clear how he did it.
Police only rescued the item in 2018 after its authenticity was confirmed by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. It was one of four remaining pairs used in the film. The Justice Department calls it “one of the most egregious things” in the film industry.
At the time of the robbery, the shoes were valued at $1 million (approximately R$5 million), but their value was estimated at $3.5 million (approximately R$18 million).