Former mobster avoids jail sentence despite stealing Wizard of Oz ruby slippers and being on the brink of death

Terry Jon Martin, a dying man at the age of 76, has been spared a prison sentence after admitting to stealing the famous ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz. In October, Martin pleaded guilty to the theft of a valuable artwork and his lawyers negotiated a plea deal for time served. Martin confessed that he stole the slippers as a final act after an old mob associate convinced him to carry out the heist back in 2005. During the hearing, Martin showed no emotion and struggled to get up from his chair afterward. His lawyers revealed that he is currently in hospice care with a life expectancy of six months. The stolen slippers were taken from a Minnesota museum, and Martin's defense attorney argued that his client had not committed any crimes in nearly a decade after his release from prison. However, an unidentified former mob associate tempted him to participate in the heist. Martin smashed the museum door and display case to retrieve the slippers. Initially planning to sell them, he eventually got rid of them after discovering that the rubies were fake. Martin claimed to be unaware of the cultural significance of the slippers and admitted to not having seen the Wizard of Oz film. He was finally charged with the crime when an FBI art crime team recovered the slippers in a sting operation after a man approached the insurer with an offer to assist in their retrieval. It is known that at least five pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland during the film's production have survived.