The FBI found Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz after a decade-long search, and we’re clicking our heels
Ready for a post-Labor Day miracle? Dorothy’s ruby slippers are finally safe and sound, so Wizard of Oz fans can rest easy.
One of the most iconic costume pieces from film history are, inarguably, the sparkly red slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, but until recently, one of the worn-on-screen pairs was missing (there are thought to be four pairs from the film in existence today). You’d think they’d be locked up in a museum somewhere, and they were—until they were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota back in 2005. And now, after more than 10 years of searching, authorities have finally recovered the slippers, according to ABC News.
So far, there aren’t many details about the rescue mission—including where and how the ruby red slippers were found—but a press conference is coming later on Tuesday, September 4th from the Minneapolis FBI, the North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Grand Rapids Police Department.
The case of the missing red ruby slippers is closed. Minneapolis FBI agents and local law enforcement will hold a news conference this afternoon to announce they've recovered one of 4 known surviving pairs of ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz." https://t.co/4a9VEJIDF8 pic.twitter.com/H0HxEArcZm
— MPR News (@MPRnews) September 4, 2018
As The Washington Post reported, investors think that the original theft took place in a matter of seconds on August 28th, 2005 when burglars broke into the museum and shattered the display case where the slippers were kept with a baseball bat. The search has continued ever since, at one point even bringing divers down to the bottom of the Tioga Mine Pit, where they unfortunately came up empty. At the time, an anonymous donor offered $1 million to whomever found the slippers, but unfortunately, that offer expired before the shoes turned up.
It’s good to hear that the slippers have been found, because after 13 years, officials looking for them had to be losing hope. This is a pretty exciting moment for them—and for movie fans everywhere.
And honestly, if you ask us? The more we hear about this, the more we feel like this could be the plot of a future National Treasure sequel. Who needs to steal the Declaration of Independence when you could steal Dorothy’s shoes?