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 The FBI said it was asking the public to help identify suspects
connected with the original theft and a more recent scheme to
extort money from the owners of the red sequined shoes, one of
four pairs worn by Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the 1939
classic.
"Dorothy’s slippers are a treasured piece of Americana, and we
are hoping members of the public can help us better fill in the
details that will finish the script of this mystery so we can
hold accountable all those who were behind the scheme," Jill
Sanborn, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis bureau of
the FBI, said in a written statement.
The slippers, known as the "traveling pair," were stolen from
the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, during a
"smash-and-grab" robbery during the overnight hours of Aug.
27-27, 2005 that took less than a minute and left behind only a
single sequin.
They remained missing for the next 13 years despite an
exhaustive investigation by local law enforcement that included
a search of abandoned ore pits.
In 2015 an anonymous fan of the film offered a $1 million reward
for their safe return.
The Grand Rapids Police Department sought assistance from the
FBI in 2017 over an extortion plot against the owners of the
shoes, the Markel Corporation, which led to their recovery. The
FBI released few details about that investigation or where they
were found in July.
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After their recovery, the slippers were sent to the Smithsonian
National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. where
conservators studying construction, materials and wear patterns of
the slippers were able to confirm that they were the missing pair.
"We were confident this day would eventually come, and we are
grateful to the FBI and all those who worked to bring this piece of
cinematic treasure out of the shadows and into the light," Grand
Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson said in a written statement.
Garland, a native of Grand Rapids who was born Frances Ethel Gumm,
was best known for her role as Dorothy in the film .
"After all, 'There’s no place like home,'” the chief said, echoing
one of Dorothy's most famous lines.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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