Dying robber steals Wizard of Oz ruby slippers as final heist

The lawyers representing Terry Jon Martin, who admitted to stealing the famous ruby slippers worn in The Wizard of Oz, have now disclosed his motive in a sentencing memo. According to the memo, Martin, a 76-year-old man, had given up a life of crime but wanted to make "one last score". The memo explains that Martin was persuaded by an old mob associate to carry out the smash-and-grab heist back in 2005. However, he was caught more than a decade later when an FBI art crime team recovered the stolen slippers in a sting operation. Martin's defense lawyer, Dane DeKrey, wrote in the memo that his client had not committed any crimes in nearly ten years following his release from prison. But an unidentified former mob associate tempted him to take part in the heist of the slippers, which were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum in Michigan. The defense lawyer explained that initially, Martin declined the invitation to participate, but the idea of a "final score" kept him pondering, and eventually, he relapsed into his criminal behavior. It is important to note that Martin had never seen the movie and was completely unaware of the cultural significance of the famous footwear. Martin broke into the museum, took the slippers, which were insured at $1 million, and believed to be adorned with genuine gemstones, and escaped. However, he dumped the shoes soon after attempting to sell them and discovering that the ruby accents were actually made of glass. In the memo, Martin's lawyer requested the judge to refrain from putting him in prison and instead sentence him to time served, pointing out his poor health condition. Martin is currently in hospice care, utilizing oxygen and a wheelchair, and has an expected life expectancy of six months. The stolen ruby slippers are among only four authentic pairs from the original 1939 film, and they have long been considered highly valuable movie props. In the film, the lead character Dorothy puts on the iconic shoes after arriving in the Land of Oz and uses them to return home to Kansas by clicking her heels three times while reciting the famous phrase, "there's no place like home."