Second man connected to shoe theft appears in court
Iconic ‘Wizard of Oz’ footwear taken from Minn. museum in 2005
Nearly 20 years since the initial heist, the case of the infamous theft of the “Wizard of Oz” ruby red slippers from the Judy Garland Museum continues to unfold.
The original man charged with the theft, an ailing mobster named Terry Jon Martin, was finally sentenced in January, while a second man was charged just this month with involvement in the crime.
Martin, 76, was recently given a sentence that allowed him to skip prison time due to his failing health. Martin confessed in October 2023 to stealing the shoes from the museum in the actress’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. He was charged with theft of a major artwork.
The second man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota, made his first court appearance on March 15. He appeared in front of the judge with an oxygen tank and in a wheelchair, The Associated Press reported. He is charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.
According to the indictment unsealed Sunday, Saliterman was involved in the theft from its occurrence in August 2005 up until the FBI recovered the slippers in July 2018. Saliterman allegedly “received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage worth at least $100,000,” accused the indictment, including “an authentic pair of ‘ruby slippers’ worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ ”
The indictment also claims that Saliterman intimidated a witness to prevent her from speaking with the FBI.
Saliterman did not enter a plea at his Friday appearance and was released on his own recognizance. John Brink, Saliterman’s attorney, told the AP after the hearing that his client was not guilty.
The slippers, one of four known pairs worn by Garland during filming, were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
They were taken in the middle of the night, police said at the time. Later, Martin’s attorney released a memo saying Martin had discovered that the shoes, which he believed to be adorned with real rubies, were on display close to where he lived.
Martin – who had never seen “The Wizard of Oz” and claimed he was unaware of their – said he broke a window and then broke the plexiglass that encased the shoes. The memo said Martin had the slippers for two days before realizing the gems were fake. He said he gave them to an associate, thinking them worthless.
In 2018, a man contacted the company that had insured the slippers and said he had information on how the shoes could be returned. They were later recovered in an FBI sting operation.
The slippers were taken to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. They were insured for $1 million and appraised at $3.5 million for their value as “among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota said.
Contributing: The Associated Press