MINNEAPOLIS – A man accused of hiding a stolen pair of sequined ruby slippers, famously worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” is set to change his plea to guilty, as confirmed by his attorney on Friday.
The iconic slippers were taken in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum, located in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Their location remained unknown for almost 13 years until the FBI finally recovered them in 2018. Last month, the slippers were auctioned for a staggering $32.5 million, achieving a record for movie memorabilia, although the identity of the buyer still remains undisclosed.
Jerry Hal Saliterman, who is now 77 years old and resides in Crystal, Minnesota, faced charges in March of theft of a significant artwork and witness tampering.
Saliterman is anticipated to plead not guilty during his arraignment set for Monday before a federal magistrate judge, even though this is a mere formality as such judges are not able to accept guilty pleas in felony cases in Minnesota. However, the district judge overseeing the case has scheduled a plea change hearing for January 10.
His attorney, John C. Brink, informed that the change to a guilty plea will take place on that date but did not share any specifics regarding a potential plea agreement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for North Dakota, which is handling the prosecution, refrained from commenting on the matter.
Terry Jon Martin, also 77, who was responsible for the original theft of the slippers, entered a guilty plea in 2023 for the same charge of major artwork theft, acknowledging that he aimed to execute “one last score” after moving away from his prior criminal lifestyle. Due to his declining health, he was sentenced to time already served in January.
The indictment against Saliterman states that between August 2005 and July 2018, he “received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage,” fully aware that the slippers were stolen. Saliterman also suffers from poor health conditions; during his first court appearance in March, he was seen in a wheelchair and relying on supplemental oxygen.
Authorities have yet to disclose how Martin and Saliterman may be linked. Martin mentioned during his plea hearing in October 2023 that he had hoped to sell what he believed were genuine rubies from the slippers. However, a fence, or someone involved in trading stolen items, informed him that the rubies were fake. Martin recounted that he disposed of the slippers afterward but chose not to provide details on how he did so.
Judy Garland’s character, Dorothy, used several pairs of ruby slippers while shooting the beloved 1939 musical, yet only four pairs are confirmed to still exist. One pair, previously loaned to the museum by Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, was recovered and auctioned off last month.
Garland, initially named Frances Gumm, was born in 1922 and lived in Grand Rapids until the age of four, later passing away in 1969. The Judy Garland Museum claims to house the largest collection of memorabilia related to Garland and “The Wizard of Oz.”
