Michael Jackson’s Signed Shoes Stolen

A signed pair of Michael Jackson shoes worth more than fifty thousand dollars, which was set to be sold at auction to support people suffering from cancer, was stolen on Sunday during a charity event.

The shoes, along with a certificate of their authenticity, were stolen from the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, United States. The shoes were supposed to be sold at the hotel during the 19th annual charity event Hair O´ the Dog, with proceeds benefiting women and girls suffering from cancer. At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, the hotel was contacted by local police. The hotel’s security staff kept a room where the shoes were being stored under constant surveillance until, to deal with an unexpected incident, they were sent elsewhere. After the staff returned to their post, they found that Michael Jackson’s shoes had been stolen. They searched the hotel for the stolen shoes, but the more they looked, the less they found. They thought they were dealing with a “smooth criminal,” but it turned out to be the opposite.

A few hours after the theft, at 6:00 p.m. the same day, it was reported that the shoes had been found.

A witness, Martino Cartier—a well-known hairstylist from South Jersey who makes wigs for cancer patients and is the founder of the charity foundation Friends are by Your Side—told newspapers:

“The moment I arrived at the hotel, I was discouraged by the chaotic situation there, and because I didn’t trust the security on site, I took the shoes to my room.”

Cartier had put Michael Jackson’s shoes up for auction along with one of his jackets, so that the money from the sale would be used to provide for the women and girls who are members of the Friends are by Your Side foundation.

After Cartier filed a complaint about the situation, management assigned someone to that room. Cartier handed the shoes to the girl who was supposed to watch them, telling her to take care of them like they were her life. But when she returned, she realized there was more space than expected and there was no sign of the child. Of course, Michael’s jacket was kept, but the shoes were taken.

Cartier says that security officers went after the theft of the jacket Michael was carrying and left the room unattended. At that same time, someone else took the shoes. But fortunately, according to Cartier:

“It seems the thieves were drunk. After stealing the shoes, they left the hotel and, on their way toward the party hall at the hotel, they entered a limousine full of many girls, and they were so drunk that they left the shoes there.”

The woman who found the shoes in the limousine turned them over—after learning about the theft reported in the newspapers—to the auction and charity event organizer, Dan Krannine. That’s how the shoes finally ended up back in Cartier’s hands. The woman said there were three thieves, and all of them were men and drunk.

The shoes being found again really thrilled Cartier. He says: “Everyone knows me as a faithful man. They told me to keep my faith; the shoes would come back, but I never even imagined seeing them again, not even in a hundred years.”

Cartier, who considers himself a Michael Jackson fan and even attended his memorial ceremony after his death, says the real value of these shoes lies in the lives they change after being sold.

“With the money from these shoes, we can buy wigs for cancer patients, or fulfill part of their hopes and dreams.”

At the end, Cartier adds: “Thank you to the auction news agencies. May God protect America. I’m very happy that more people now know about the Friends are by Your Side foundation, and it’s all thanks to this theft incident.”

However, Cartier blames the hotel’s security officers as the main cause of the theft, even though he does not insist on continuing the police investigation.

Source: eMJey.com / Philadelphia Daily News