Charges may mount for alleged ruby slippers heist accomplice

jea Ruby Slippers — A recovered pair of ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" and stolen from a Grand Rapids, Minn., museum in 2005, are seen during a news conference at the FBI headquarters in Brooklyn Center on Sept. 4, 2018.

By Jay Gabler

July 11, 2024 at 1:50 PM

DULUTH 鈥� The Crystal Police Department has requested six additional charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, a resident of that Minneapolis suburb who has already been charged with the theft of the famed ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz."

Saliterman was indicted in March for his alleged role in the 2005 theft of the ruby slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, where they were then being displayed while on loan from Hollywood collector Michael Shaw. The slippers were retrieved in 2018, but no charges were filed until last year.

Grand Rapids resident Terry Jon Martin to breaking into the museum to steal the slippers; in January, the 76-year-old was given his declining health. Saliterman is accused of receiving and concealing the stolen slippers, which he buried in his yard for years, authorities say.

woman pushes man in wheelchair with oxygen tank — Terry Jon Martin is wheeled into the federal courthouse in Duluth on Oct. 13, 2023, to plead guilty to stealing a pair of ruby slippers used in the filming of "The Wizard of Oz."

In dated Wednesday, the Crystal Police Department said it is asking the Hennepin County Attorney's Office to add charges of organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft, receiving stolen property, domestic assault-harm, domestic assault-fear, and harassment against Saliterman.

According to the news release, the ruby slippers heist was just one job in a "retail crime ring" that Saliterman participated in for years. The requested charges of harassment and domestic assault are related, police say, to the suspect's intimidation of his wife to prevent her from revealing the crime ring's existence.

Martin never named the "old mob associate" who put him up to the theft, and told authorities he mistakenly believed the shoes were encrusted with actual rubies rather than costume sequins.

Woman gestures to exhibit sign — In June 2024, Judy Garland Museum Executive Director Janie Heitz stands over a sign that was displayed in Grand Rapids during the years when the identity of the slippers' thief remained a mystery. The sign is now part of an exhibit about the heist.

The Judy Garland Museum now has an exhibit and tours telling the story of the theft, which has attracted international attention. Earlier this year the slippers were returned to Shaw, who plans to sell them by auction later this year, according to museum director Janie Heitz.

The museum is currently fundraising in an effort to place the winning bid, and the state of Minnesota has earmarked $100,000 to contribute if a purchase moves forward. Prosecutors have estimated the slippers' value at $3.5 million.

In Gov. Tim Walz expressed confidence that the slippers will return permanently to the Northland.

"We're buying Judy Garland's damn slippers," Walz wrote, "to make sure they remain safe at home in Grand Rapids 鈥� on display for all to enjoy 鈥� under 24/7, Ocean's 11-proof security."

By Jay Gabler

Arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler joined the Duluth News Tribune in 2022. His previous experience includes eight years as a digital producer at The Current (Minnesota Public Radio), four years as theater critic at Minneapolis alt-weekly City Pages, and six years as arts editor at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. He's a co-founder of pop culture and creative writing blog The Tangential; he's also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the Minnesota Film Critics Association. You can reach him at jgabler@duluthnews.com or 218-409-7529.