The Thief of the 4.7 Billion Won 'Dorothy's Red Shoes' Found After 18 Years: "Confessed to the Crime"

The Most Recognized Souvenir in American Film History

The thief who stole the 'Dorothy's Red Shoes' that disappeared 18 years ago has been caught.

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. federal prosecutors announced that Terry John Martin (76), a resident of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, who was charged with stealing the sparkling red shoes worn by the protagonist Dorothy, played by actress Judy Garland (1922?1969) in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, has pleaded guilty.

[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Investigations revealed that Martin stole Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. Earlier, Martin was arrested and brought to trial in May on charges of stealing artwork recognized as cultural heritage.

At the time of the theft, the shoes were insured for $1 million (approximately 1.35 billion KRW). Their current fair market value reaches $3.5 million (about 4.7 billion KRW). They are one of the four remaining pairs of shoes worn by Garland as Dorothy. They are regarded as one of the most recognized memorabilia in American film history.

Michael Shaw, a former Hollywood child actor and prop collector, purchased and kept the shoes in the 1970s. The shoes disappeared shortly after the Judy Garland Museum borrowed them for exhibition in August 2005.

Photo by still image from the movie 'Ojeu-ui Mabeopsja' (The Wizard of Oz)

The museum stated that the shoes were "stolen," but no traces of the thief, such as CCTV footage or fingerprints from the exhibition hall, were found, leading to rumors that Shaw, who lent the shoes, staged the incident to claim insurance money.

The shoes were discovered through a surprise operation conducted by the FBI Art Crime Team in 2005.

The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy, who is swept away by a tornado from Kansas City to Oz and defeats the Wicked Witch of the West. It is based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900 by Chicago's George M. Hill Publishing Company.

Thanks to the ruby slippers, which can take her anywhere by clicking the heels three times, Dorothy, who faces adventures with all her might, safely returns home every time.

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers Displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

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