FBI Recover Famous Ruby Red Slippers From 'The Wizard Of Oz,' Stolen More Than 13 Years Ago

Sep 11, 2018 by apost team

This photograph from April 11, 2012 shows the famous ruby slippers the character Dorothy Gale, played by Judy Garland, wore in the iconic movie “The Wizard of Oz.” They are currently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, located in Washington.

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Authorities told reporters that the ruby slippers, seen in the 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” were stolen 13 years ago from a museum in Minnesota. They were recovered just this past June of 2018. The authorities displayed the shoes to the public for the first time in 13 years during a news conference before sending them off to the museum for display.

The ruby red slippers were made for the star of the show, Judy Garland. In 2005, the slippers were stolen out of the Judy Garland Museum, located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The slippers have been searched for ever since and were finally found during a sting operation, according to the FBI.

Since being discovered, suspects of the sting have been identified. Charges will be brought against the suspects if need be, according to Christopher Myers, a United States attorney for the District of North Carolina.

The FBI has been asking the public for help in identifying the person or persons who are responsible for the initial theft. They are also asking for help with the recent attempt to defraud and extort the company that owns the slippers, the Markel Corporation.

There have been no clear details of the alleged extortion plot. However, the FBI stepped in when the plot came to light in 2017, after a request from the Grand Rapids Police for assistance.

There are at least two other pairs of slippers currently owned by private collectors. One pair is jointly owned by Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio. This pair is on display to the public at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Watch the video below of the Federal Bureau of Investigations recovering the stolen slippers:

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