A man is charged with the 2005 theft of the red 'Wizard of Oz' slippers : NPR

By

Ayana Archie

In this April 11, 2012, file photo, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, from the "Wizard of Oz" are on display as part of a new exhibit, "American Stories," at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

In this April 11, 2012, file photo, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, from the "Wizard of Oz" are on display as part of a new exhibit, "American Stories," at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington.

A federal grand jury has indicted a Minnesota man on charges of stealing a pair of the famous ruby red slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz.

Terry Martin is being charged with one count of theft of major artwork for allegedly taking the shoes, worth at least $100,000, from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, according to documents with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

The shoes were missing for 13 years before the FBI recovered them in 2018.

"Despite an investigation by local authorities, which included countless interviews, numerous theories, and even searches of abandoned iron ore pits, the slippers were never located and no arrests were made," the agency said at the time.

Garland wore several pairs of the slippers during production of the 1939 film. At the time of their disappearance, the shoes were one of just four pairs known to remain. They were insured for over $1 million by the shoes' owner, Michael Shaw, a collector.

The pair that were stolen are still in the custody of the FBI.

A previous version of this story incorrectly said that the slippers are now housed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington. In fact, they are still in the custody of the FBI.