A pair of ruby slippers from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” was recovered after being stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota more than a dozen years ago.
It is still unknown who exactly stole one of the four pairs of slippers that Garland wore in the film almost 80 years ago, the FBI reported, but several suspects have been identified.
“From the outset, our top priority was the safe recovery of the slippers,” Special Agent Christopher Dudley, who led the investigation from the FBI’s Minneapolis Division, said.
Dudley said the investigation into the initial theft of the pair of slippers, known as the “traveling pair,” and the recent extortion attempt for their return is still active.
The shoes were stolen in 2005, and in the summer of 2017, someone told the company that insured the slippers that he had information about the piece of memorabilia and how they could be returned.
Dudley said the FBI became involved in the case at that point, saying that it became clear that those involved in the theft were “attempting to extort the owners of the slippers.”
“There are certainly people out there who have additional knowledge regarding both the theft and the individuals responsible for concealing the slippers all these years.” Dudley said at a press conference in Minneapolis. “We are asking that you come forward.”
