A man is accused of hiding the stolen pair for a long time. Ruby socks Judy Garland dressed in “The Wizard of Oz” plans to plead guilty, her attorney confirmed Friday.
The slipper was stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. His whereabouts remained a mystery for almost 13 years. The FBI recovered them in Minneapolis in 2018.
While they were there, they fetched a record price of movie memorabilia. Auctioned last month for $32.5 million.According to Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale. The buyer is yet to be identified.
Jerry Hall Selterman, now 77, of Crystal, Minnesota; Last March, he was charged with theft of a large artwork and witness tampering..
He is expected to plead not guilty when he appears before a federal magistrate judge on Monday, a formality because magistrate judges cannot accept guilty pleas in felony cases in Minnesota. But on Friday, the district judge overseeing the case set a change of plea hearing on January 10.
Selterman’s attorney, John C. Brink, confirmed to The Associated Press that his client will change his plea to guilty, but declined to provide details about a possible plea deal. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for North Dakota, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.
The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, now 77, pleaded guilty in 2023 to the theft of a large artwork, admitting that after his lawyer turned to a life of crime ” “One last score” was attempted. was a 76-year-old Grand Rapids man. Sentenced to time served, one year supervised release and $23,000 restitution To the museum
The indictment against Selterman states that from August 2005 to July 2018, he acquired, concealed and disposed of an object of cultural heritage. According to the indictment, Selterman knew they were stolen, and threatened to release a woman’s sex tape and “take her away” if she kept her mouth shut about the slippers. will”.
Selterman is also in poor health. He was in a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen during his first court appearance last March.
Authorities have not said how Martin and Slaterman may be connected. Martin, who lives near Grand Rapids, said during his plea hearing in October 2023 that he hopes to sell the real ruby from the shoes. But a man who deals in stolen goods, known as Baad, tells him that the rubies are not real. Martin said he then got rid of the slippers, but declined to say how he did it.
Garland’s character, Dorothy, wore several pairs during the filming of the classic 1939 musical, but only four pairs remain. Michael Shaw, a collector of Hollywood memorabilia, loaned his pair to the museum before Martin stole them. Shaw eventually returned them, and auctioned them off last month.
Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. She lived in Grand Rapids, about 200 miles (320 km) north of Minneapolis, until she was 4 years old. He died in 1969. The Judy Garland Museum says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia.
Note: The above video was first broadcast on March 17, 2024.