The Case of the Stolen Ruby Slippers

What happens when the world’s most iconic pair of shoes—the ruby slippers of Oz—are stolen from your town? For this cover story in the Washington Post Magazine I traveled to the small town of Grand Rapids, Minn to find out. Filled with gossip, obsession, mobsters, pit mine lakes, and false leads, this is an account of the 13-year hunt for answers that ended in a massive FBI sting operation. My article was the first to break the news of the man found in possession of the shoes, and it became the most-read story on the Washington Post site when it published in the 2019. Read the full story here.