The theft of Judy Garland‘s iconic ruby slippers she wore in The Wizard of Oz is one of Hollywood’s most notorious events. These renowned shoes, worn by the actress as Dorothy in the 1939 film, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in August 2005. The heist remained a mystery until September 2018, when the FBI announced a breakthrough in the case, disclosing that the stolen slippers had been recovered during a sting operation in Minneapolis.
Following the return of the prized memorabilia to the Judy Garland Museum, law enforcement officers have since arrested the perpetrator, Terry Jon Martin. Terry, who pleaded guilty to the theft, recently disclosed the motivation behind the audacious heist.
The reformed mobster says he stole the Judy Garland slippers to get “one last score”
During his initial court appearance, Martin admitted to unlawfully entering the museum and absconding with the footwear, driven by the misguided belief instilled by a former mob associate that the renowned shoes were embellished with genuine jewels.
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A memorandum submitted by his attorney, Dane Dekrey, further shed light on the 76-year-old’s predicament, asserting that pressure from a previous gang affiliation tempted him to steal the shoes despite a nearly decade-long hiatus from criminal activities since his last incarceration in 1996. “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,” the memo reads. “After much contemplation, Terry had a criminal relapse and decided to participate in the theft.”
Terry Jon Martin’s lawyer pushed for a lighter sentence
As Martin’s sentencing date approaches, DeKrey and prosecutors advocate for Martin’s release, citing his inability to pose a threat due to severe health issues. They noted that with a life expectancy of less than six months and continuous oxygen dependence from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, Martin is deemed unfit for prison, and even if incarcerated, his precarious health may warrant compassionate release.
The defense attorney, in his plea, emphasized that his client’s brush with the law was brought about by the pivotal events in his life, such as mistreatment from a cruel stepmother during childhood, missing the birth of his twins, and the death of those twins at the age of one month. “This was truly the turning point in Terry’s life — his villain origin story — and the reason he not only went down his dark path but accelerated towards it,” DeKrey wrote. “His son said it best: ‘the twins’ death made (my dad) just give up on life; he decided on a life of crime.'”