ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed the charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, a 77-year-old Minnesota man accused of concealing a stolen pair of ruby slippers originally worn by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz." The dismissal came after prosecutors informed the court of Saliterman's passing on Sunday, just one day before the hearing.
Saliterman, a resident of Crystal, Minnesota, was reported to have been in poor health due to lung disease and other complications. He was scheduled to change his plea to guilty in January, but this hearing had been indefinitely postponed following his hospitalization. Federal prosecutor Matthew Greenley submitted a motion to the court to drop the charges after confirming Saliterman's death, although the exact circumstances surrounding his passing were not provided.
Defense attorney John Brink confirmed the news of Saliterman's death, but chose not to disclose further details. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Fargo, North Dakota, the office handling the case, did not respond immediately to requests for additional information.
Recent court filings indicated that Saliterman had been hospitalized in early January due to “inability to walk and sepsis,” a serious infection. He managed to attend his arraignment via video from what appeared to be a hospital room just three days after his hospitalization. A subsequent update provided by Brink indicated that Saliterman had moved to a hospice facility, with a poor prognosis. Medical documentation revealed severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that required supplemental oxygen, as well as a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Saliterman had entered a wheelchair and was reliant on supplemental oxygen during his first court appearance in March 2023. He faced charges not only for theft of a major artwork but also for witness tampering related to the famous ruby slippers case. The iconic sequined slippers were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Their whereabouts remained unknown for almost 13 years until they were recovered by the FBI in 2018. The slippers later sold for an astonishing $32.5 million at auction in December, setting a record for movie memorabilia. Only three other pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland are still in existence today.
The actual theft was executed by Terry Jon Martin, now 78, who used a hammer to break the glass of the museum’s door and display case. According to Martin's attorney, he was initially misled by an associate about the slippers’ worth, believing they had to be embellished with real jewels to justify their insured value of $1 million. However, after realizing they were not genuine jewels, Martin discarded the slippers, which eventually found their way to Saliterman. Martin pleaded guilty to charges in 2023 and was sentenced to time served early this year, a decision influenced by his own deteriorating health.
With the recent developments leading to Saliterman's death and the dismissal of charges, the story surrounding the stolen ruby slippers continues to unravel, marked by a series of health issues and legal battles tied to a piece of cinematic history.
