The iconic red sequin shoes were taken from an exhibit at the venue in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on the night of August 27, 2005.
- Sep 5, 2018
AceShowbiz - A pair of ruby slippers stolen from the Judy Garland Museum have been recovered.
The iconic red sequin shoes, one of the pairs worn by Judy Garland as the character of Dorothy Gale in classic 1939 musical movie "The Wizard of Oz", were taken from an exhibit at the venue in the actress' hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota on the night of August 27, 2005.
However, officials from the Minneapolis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Tuesday morning (September 04) that the heels had been found after being missing for 13 years.
It is unclear at this stage if anyone has been charged in relation to the case but a spokesperson is set to share more details at a press conference later on Tuesday afternoon.
The ruby slippers, known as size 5 1/2 B, were sold by costumer Kent Warner to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw in 1970 and were thought to be used in the close-up scenes where Dorothy famously clicked her heels together and repeated the line, "There's no place like home."
In 2015, an anonymous donor offered a $1 million (£779,000) reward for information on the missing slippers.
At the time, John Kelsch, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum, told the Associated Press that the shoes were insured for $1 million, though could be worth $2 million to $3 million (£1.5 - £2.3 million) and may sell for even more at an auction.
The ruby slippers, created by Hollywood costume designer Gilbert Adrian, are thought to be one of at least five pairs in existence. One pair is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., another was sold to a memorabilia shop owner for $666,000 in 2000, while an elaborated curled-toe "Arabian" pair was owned by actress Debbie Reynolds until she sold them at auction for $510,000 in 2011.
In addition, a pair probably once owned by Warner, was acquired in 2012 by a group of benefactors including Leonardo DiCaprio for donation to the new Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum, which is expected to open in 2019.
