Theft of two shoes of the «Wizard of Oz» estimated at $ 3.5 million


US authorities have charged a man linked to the theft of a pair of red slippers worn by actress Judy Garland, known as "Dorothy" in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939, nearly 20 years after she was stolen from a museum in Minnesota.
Terry John Martin was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for stealing a major work of art that it called "something of cultural heritage," according to court documents filed in Minnesota District Court. According to court documents, the soles were worth at least $100,3. But a news release from the North Dakota Attorney General's Office estimated its current value at $5.2005 million.
Authorities said in August <> that a thief broke into the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, before smashing a glass display box and stealing slippers. Investigators said they had no evidence other than one piece of shiny sequins that had fallen from one of the slippers.
Significant progress was made in the case when officials retrieved the slippers during a covert operation in Minneapolis. No suspects were detained at the time.
Because they are among the most recognizable elements in American film history, the film's red slippers were gifted to Dorothy from Glenda the Good Witch (the film's fictional character). The slippers were made by Gilbert Adrian, chief designer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who dyed a pair of slippers red and covered them with shiny sequins.