- Federal charges dismissed after suspect’s death at age 77
- Saliterman battled COPD, Parkinson’s during legal proceedings
- Iconic slippers stolen in 2005 heist from Judy Garland Museum
- Co-defendant Terry Martin received time-served sentence in 2023
- Recovered footwear sold for $32.5 million record auction price
The decade-spanning legal drama surrounding the stolen ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz reached an abrupt conclusion this week. Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman following the 77-year-old’s death on Sunday. The Minnesota resident had been under indictment since March 2023 for allegedly concealing the iconic movie props and witness tampering.
Court documents reveal Saliterman’s deteriorating health complicated proceedings from the start. When first appearing via video from a hospital bed in January, doctors reported he suffered from life-threatening sepsis and chronic lung disease. His attorney confirmed the Crystal resident spent recent weeks in hospice care before passing, though official cause of death remains undisclosed.
The slippers’ journey began with a 2005 smash-and-grab at Grand Rapids’ Judy Garland Museum. Terry Jon Martin, then 78, admitted using a hammer to shatter display cases, believing the footwear contained real rubies. When discovering the gemstones were glass, Martin abandoned the slippers—allegedly passing them to Saliterman. Federal agents recovered the artifacts in 2018 through a confidential informant.
This case mirrors Minnesota’s 2011 Liberty Bell theft, where historical preservation gaps enabled criminals to steal a 2,000-pound replica. Both incidents exposed vulnerabilities in regional museum security, prompting statewide upgrades to artifact tracking systems and motion-sensitive displays.
Industry analysts note the slippers’ $32.5 million auction price reflects growing demand for cinematic relics. Auction houses report a 140% increase in movie memorabilia sales since 2015, driven by streaming-era nostalgia. However, experts warn high-profile thefts could escalate insurance costs for small museums by up to 22% annually.
With Saliterman’s death, unanswered questions about the slippers’ 13-year disappearance resurface. Federal officials maintain their investigation uncovered no evidence of organized crime ties, contradicting early theories. As one of four surviving pairs from the 1939 classic, the recovered slippers now reside in an anonymous collector’s climate-controlled vault, their cinematic legacy preserved despite the legal limbo.
