Not since the James-Younger gang rode into Northfield has a Minnesota town been so rocked by a theft. Left in the slippers' shimmering wake were lives complicated, relationships strained and reputations tarnished. Including that of the town itself, which had been unknowingly harboring a career criminal the Coen brothers couldn't have scripted, one who thought the shoes were made of real rubies. "It seemed everyone, including the PD, was baffled by what appeared to be a very easy lift," recalled Britta Arendt, who edited the local newspaper at that time. Then, 13 years after the slippers disappeared, they returned out of nowhere, as if they'd simply clicked their magical heels instead of having been nabbed in an FBI sting. It took another five years for a local septuagenarian, Terry Jon Martin, to be indicted and plead guilty, in October 2023. But the case is far from settled. Tap the link in our bio to read the full story by Rachel Hutton. Photos by @alexkormann12. #Minnesota