In a recent development, a federal judge dismissed the charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, a 77-year-old man from Crystal, Minnesota, who was accused of concealing a stolen pair of iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.” This decision came after the defendant’s untimely death occurred on Sunday.
Saliterman had been combating deteriorating health conditions, including lung disease and additional illnesses. Previously, he was set to enter a guilty plea in January, but the hearing was indefinitely postponed due to his hospitalization. Federal prosecutor Matthew Greenley informed the court of Saliterman’s passing in a brief motion without providing details on the circumstances of his death. Subsequently, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz agreed to dismiss the charges.
The defense attorney, John Brink, confirmed Saliterman’s death but offered no further details. Efforts to obtain more information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fargo, North Dakota, which oversaw the case, were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.
Court documents reveal that Saliterman was hospitalized in January with severe health issues, including an inability to walk and sepsis, a potentially fatal infection. He appeared for his arraignment virtually from a hospital setting. In a later court update, Brink mentioned that his client had moved to a hospice facility with a dire prognosis, as documented by his physician, who cited conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Parkinson’s disease requiring constant oxygen support.
During Saliterman’s initial court appearance in March, necessitated by a wheelchair and oxygen support, he faced charges related to the theft of significant artwork and tampering with a witness in connection to the ruby slippers incident. The red, sequined slippers vanished from the Judy Garland Museum in her birthplace of Grand Rapids back in 2005. The slippers’ location remained elusive until their 2018 recovery by the FBI. Classified as a rare movie artifact, the shoes were recently valued at $32.5 million by Heritage Auctions. They represent one of several pairs used by Garland during the movie’s production, with only three others known to exist.
In a separate case, Terry Jon Martin, a 78-year-old from Grand Rapids, was responsible for the theft. He shattered the museum’s entrance and display case with a hammer to procure the shoes. His legal representative disclosed that Martin’s mob connections directed the theft, falsely asserting that the slippers needed to be embellished with genuine jewels to match their $1 million insured estimation. Upon realizing the shoes’ authenticity, Martin disposed of them, leading to their subsequent involvement with Saliterman. Martin admitted guilt in 2023 and, due to his compromised health, received a sentence equal to time already served.