famous kidnappings found alive
Mitchell and Barzee were taken into custody as suspected kidnappers, and eventually convicted. As it stands, she is known for at least two major abductions in Greek mythology. Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of famed publisher William Randolph Hearst, has the dubious distinction of being both a kidnap victim and convicted bank robber. Getty Sr. agreed to give his son $3 million, but $800,000 would be considered a loan that came with a 4% interest rate. Not all kidnappings transpire in the U.S. A classic example is the case of Aldo Moro, a distinguished Italian politician (and two-time Prime Minister) who was abducted in 1978 by a revolutionary group known as the Red Brigades, which killed five of his bodyguards in the process. She seized the opportunity to run to a neighbor, who called the police. The "Big Spender" was arrested shortly afterward and executed following a trial on the Chinese mainland; Kwok, meanwhile, resumed his role in his father's empire and went on to become one of the world's 200 richest individuals. John Esposito, a family friend, lured the young girl to his home with the promise of birthday presents. ThoughtCo. About 8:30 p.m., on March 12, after receiving an anonymous telephone call, Dr. Condon received the fifth ransom note, delivered by Joseph Perrone, a taxicab driver, who received it from an unidentified stranger. (soccer player). Of all the children who are reported missing every year, only an incredibly tiny fraction have actually been taken by a stranger— like one one-hundredth of a percent of all cases. (Veneta Rizvic/KOMU). The drawing was recognized by the family of Mitchell, who then provided the police with contemporary photographs of Mitchell. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/most-notorious-kidnappings-4144989. Over the course of nearly ten years, the captive women had multiple pregnancies that resulted in at least one live birth, as well as multiple miscarriages. Our newest biography website and YouTube channel. One minute they’re here, the next they’re gone. The Lyon sisters were abducted from s shopping mall back in 1975. (2021, February 16). The eldest son of a Hong Kong real-estate developer, Walter Kwok was kidnapped in 1997 by a notorious local gangster nicknamed the "Big Spender," then kept blindfolded in a wooden container for four grueling days. Strauss, Bob. Stayner was abducted, and held until he was fourteen. ... Read on to know about ten kidnappings that made history. He was survived by a wife and two children, a testament to his remarkable post-abduction recovery. Filyaw was arrested 5 miles away, carrying a taser, pellet gun, and a knife. By the time of the trial, the waters had been sufficiently muddied for Byrne and Lynch to be acquitted of kidnapping but found guilty of grand larceny. She went to school for an accounting degree, married, had a daughter, and also joined an organization to help abused women. Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America. It all seems … The nightmare began on May 19, 1977, when Cameron Hooker kidnapped 20-year-old Stan as she was hitchhiking to a friend’s birthday party. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/most-notorious-kidnappings-4144989. Photo of Frank Sinatra, Jr. performing on The Red Skelton Show. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti – http://www.canvaz.com/gallery/1799.htm, Public Domain,... 2. As you may have surmised by now, it's not easy being the son of a famous father. The 16-year-old son of a wealthy Omaha businessman, Eddie Cudahy was snatched from the street while running an... 03. Biographics – History, One Life at a Time. On June 5, 2002, a knife-wielding Brian David Mitchell broke into the home of Elizabeth Smart, and abducted her from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. In order to free him, Kwok's father paid one of the largest ransoms in history, over half a billion dollars in cash. The kidnapping and murder of the child of “Lucky Lindy,” the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean non-stop was called at the time “The Crime of The Century.” (Remember, at that time Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls had not … Hope was dwindling. Photos courtesy Mr./Mrs. In some cases, the missing are released and recovered alive, while others are not so lucky. Though his parents kept looking for Charley for the rest of their lives, he was never found (one man who claimed to be the adult Ross, in 1934, was almost certainly an impostor). Top 10 Kidnapping Victims Who Were Found Alive 1. Despite extensive searches for the missing girl, she would not be freed from captivity until over eighteen years later. His parents, including the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, paid a ransom of $50,000, but the boy was found dead a few months later. The 16-year-old son of a wealthy Omaha businessman, Eddie Cudahy was snatched from the street while running an errand; the next morning his father received a ransom note demanding $25,000 (and invoking the dire fate of Charley Ross, who had been kidnapped a quarter-century before). 15 Missing Kids Discovered Alive Years After They Vanished. Even with regards to famous kidnappings, there are kidnappings on the list that are far from famous, which don't even have a link to the victim. Bruno Hauptmann, convicted of the Lindbergh kidnapping. At the age of 19, Frank Sinatra, Jr., was just beginning to establish his own show-biz career when he was abducted by thugs from a Las Vegas casino. Steven Stayner (1972) was kidnapped on his way home from school in 1972 in Merced, California. Kidnappings by strangers are extremely rare. He was found alive in … 10 Famous Kidnappings that Made History. Steven Stayner was an American child who became famous after he was kidnapped as a seven-year-old and held captive by his abductor, to be reunited with his family seven years later. Ben was found two days later. Vicente Fernandez[?]. President Herbert Hoover was personally notified; Al Capone, in prison, offered to work his underworld connections; and the man who cracked the case, Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, received posthumous honors years later as the father of Norman Schwarzkopf, the general behind Operation Desert Storm. As for her captor, he led the police on a chase that ended when he committed suicide, by stepping in front of a moving train near the Vienna Northern Station. … Eventually, the FBI apprehended her but, after two years of imprisonment, it became clear she was as much a victim as anybody else. Kampusch was held in a secret cellar by her kidnapper, Wolfgang Priklopil, for more than eight years. The kidnapping was bungled from the start—the perpetrators accidentally killed the 20-month-infant in the process of removing him from the Lindbergh home—and there are many people who still believe that the man ultimately convicted and executed for the crime, Bruno Hauptmann, was framed. Sheila Sund from Salem, United States/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0. Found well and alive. (To be fair, Hauptmann does seem to have been guilty, even though the prosecutor in the case overstated, or outright manufactured, some of the incriminating evidence.). Even though the word has roots in the late 17th century, kidnapping is a relatively recent phenomenon—and criminals barely even conceived the idea of abducting individuals and demanding large cash ransoms for their return until about 150 years ago. He was subsequently convicted, and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. A year later, Amanda Berry vanished at 16, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004 at 14. The break in the case came in August 2009, when a convicted sex offender named Phillip Craig Garrido visited the campus of UC Berkeley accompanied by two girls, one of whom was later identified as Dugard. Top 10 Shockingly Rich Celebrities & Their Net Worth. He was sentenced to fifteen years to life, a sentence he is still serving. Their strange behavior attracted unwanted attention that resulted in Garrido, and his wife Nancy, being arrested for kidnapping and other charges. After their kidnapper, Ariel Castro, left the house that day, Berry began to scream for help, getting the attention of heroic neighbors Angel Cordero and Charles Ramsey, both of whom went to the house’s front door. She was 14 at the time. Jean Paul Getty III, the grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, five months after his kidnapping by an … Other disappearances remain unsolved. The victims, despite their anguish, have found comfort and healing in one another, they told PEOPLE in a 2012 article. Luckily, not all of these stories end in tragedy. American Revolution: Commodore John Paul Jones, The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History, 10 Facts About the Conquest of the Inca Empire, The Crimes of Florida Death Row Inmate Tiffany Cole, American Indian Removal Policy and the Trail of Tears, The Getty Center by Architect Richard Meier. On June 10, 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in South Lake Tahoe, California, while walking from home to a school bus stop. Julio Cesar Chavez received threatening calls, saying his sons would be kidnapped. Smart was abducted in 2002 and held captive for nine months. https://www.thoughtco.com/most-notorious-kidnappings-4144989 (accessed March 2, 2021). Parnell had passed himself off as an aspiring minister to the naïve Murphy. Singer Frank Sinatra, Jr. is the son of legendary musician Frank Sinatra, as you might have guessed already. Article by ananya mody, October 24, 2013. The criminal couple ultimately pleaded guilty to Dugard’s kidnapping and sexual assault, with Philip receiving a 431-year sentence, and a comparatively-meager 36 years for his wife. As for Cameron Hooker, he received a multiple consecutive sentences for sexual assaults, kidnapping, and using a knife in the process, for a total of 104 years’ imprisonment. Have you ever heard of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)? The authorities refused to negotiate, claiming this might open the door to future kidnappings, and Moro was eventually wrapped up in a blanket, shot ten times, and dumped in the trunk of a Renault. Furthermore, the soundproof room had no windows, making escape even more difficult. Convicted bank robber, Patty Hearst arrest photo. Legal proceedings against Castro are still ongoing. In 2013 she, as so many other victims have, wrote an emotionally-compelling book about her experience. Practically no one alive today remembers the name Charley Ross—but pretty much everyone is familiar with the... 02. Although it was over and done with quickly, the Cudahy kidnapping received an enormous amount of press coverage at the time, and it had a bizarre coda: the man prosecuted for the crime in 1905 was found not guilty (despite the preponderance of the evidence told against him), and for a few years after his acquittal he plied the lecture circuit and even appeared in a few movies. Take a second to support Toptenz.net on Patreon! I found this very comforting." After his abduction, Sam Bronfman delivered his own ransom demand via audiotape, and after his father paid $2.3 million the abductee was found in a nearby apartment in the company of a New York City fireman, Mel Patrick Lynch. Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart speaks to local media outlets before the event at Fitzsimmons-John Arena in Moberly, Mo., on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Four people kidnapped Mary McElroy after being inspired by other successful kidnappings. Berry then told Ramsey that she and her baby were being kept inside the house against her will. Biographics – History, One Life at a Time. Helen of Troy (????). On August 31, Mitchell was transferred to federal prison to begin serving a life sentence for his crimes. On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, Stayner was approached on his way home from school by a man named Ervin Edward Murphy, an acquaintance of convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell. Despite the frequent depictions of Theseus as a great hero in popular culture, according to myths, he raped Helen. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? The media attention later led to her signing a contract with Austrian channel Puls 4 for her own talk show in 2008, becoming the new face of the Austrian PETA branch in 2009, and writing an autobiography called 3,096 Days, published in September 2010. They take place nearly every day and each newspaper has a section dedicated to kidnappings. Since then, it’s been one of Washington DC’s most notorious unsolved kidnappings, with huge attention from the media and authorities. Ownby was kidnapped on January 8, 2007 after walking home from the bus stop in his hometown of Beaufort, Missouri. Yet, that is beside the point, as she is unquestionably the most famous rescued kidnapping victim in history. Below, you'll find a chronological list of history's nine most famous kidnappings, ranging from the disappearance of Charley Ross in 1874 to the recovery of Hong Kong businessman Walter Kwok, in 1997, after the payment of a half-billion dollar ransom. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Charles was kidnapped from his crib in the family home. At this point, as Stayner entered puberty, the pedophiliac Parnell looked for a younger child to kidnap. Strauss, Bob. The history of infamous kidnappings in America is long and stretches back centuries. His father promptly paid the $240,000 ransom, and shortly afterward the perpetrators were caught, prosecuted, and sent to prison (though they were eventually released on parole). Subsequently, her brothers invaded Athens and reclaimed their sister for Sparta. Beverly Mackle forces a "sorry smile" in this photograph taken by her kidnappers to convince her parents she was alive and in the power of her abductors. No one was ever convicted for Aldo Moro's kidnapping and murder, and the years since have witnessed the flourishing of various conspiracy theories, chief among them that the U.S. (in partnership with NATO) disapproved of Moro's policies and wanted him out of the picture. "The 9 Most Famous Kidnappings That Made Headlines." NEXT WEEK: The Chase And Capture . In addition, Cameron led her to believe that she was being watched by a large, powerful organization called “The Company,” which would painfully torture her and harm her family if she tried to escape. More often than not, they are brutal and painful. The biker alerted police, who recognized Smart during questioning; she was promptly reunited with her family. by Michael Thomas Barry. Cross was released; Laporte was murdered. Warren Rodwell The longest held Australian captive outside war. Granted bail shortly afterward, Patty Hearst married, had two children, and became involved with various charitable organizations. The 9 Most Famous Kidnappings That Made Headlines 01. Kara Robinson Chamberlain has been using TikTok to share her story of getting kidnapped by a serial killer and escaping. On a fateful day in 1874, in a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia, four-year-old Charley climbed into a horse-drawn carriage and took the candy—and his father then received a series of ransom notes demanding $20,000 (the equivalent of about a half million dollars today). Colleen Stan was kidnapped and held as a sex slave by Cameron and Janice Hooker for over seven years, between 1977 and 1984, in something described at her abductor’s trial as unparalleled in FBI history. 13 Sabine Dardenne Kidnapped by the Monster of Belgium. Dugard later wrote the book, A Stolen Life: A Memoir, about her experiences, which you can buy and help contribute to the victim and her family. Jaycee Dugard. Milton and Beverly Buffington . Mary was bathing when she was kidnapped. Their kidnappings by the Front de libération du Québec set off the 1970 October Crisis. Kidnappings aren’t uncommon. Sadly, Stayner died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident while driving home from work. Practically no one alive today remembers the name Charley Ross—but pretty much everyone is familiar with the expression "don't take candy from strangers," which circulated in the wake of this toddler's abduction. Privacy Policy | TopTenz T-Shirts | Sponsors. The SLA didn't demand a ransom per se; rather, they wanted the Hearst family to wield its political influence to free two imprisoned SLA members (or, failing that, to at least buy a few million dollars' worths of food for poor Californians). The abduction of Elizabeth and her recovery were the subject of a made-for-television movie and a published book. Photo of Frank Sinatra, Jr. performing on The Red Skelton Show. This note, the sixth, was found by Condon, as indicated. ... 1 Two Toddlers Found Safe 30 Years After Being Kidnapped. They were 10 and 12 years old, and their bodies have never been found. John Paul Getty III, the teenage grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, used to joke about staging his own kidnapping so he could finally wring some money out of his stingy granddad. cutline 2 --- news clip He was found after four days, as was Hornbeck. Hopefully, the stories of these individuals rescued, and the kind-hearted individuals who helped them find freedom, will encourage us next time the unthinkable occurs. The members seem to have brainwashed her into taking part in a bank heist with other SLA members. In 1974, she apparently joined a terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army, after they had kidnapped her. Even though it's rare, there have been a handful of people to reappear after getting abducted. The remains of the bodies of four other kidnap victims and Dutroux's accomplice were found in properties belonging to the convicted pedophile, who had served jail time for earlier sex crimes. Steven Stayner (1972) was kidnapped on his way home from school in 1972 in Merced, California. Despite being bound with chains and rope at various points in their captivity, an opportunity for escape eventually came just a short time ago. Katie Beers was kidnapped in New York on December 28, 1992, two days before her tenth birthday. The now-freed Stan went on to live a productive life. Filyaw pleaded guilty to kidnapping, possession of an incendiary device, impersonating a police officer (when he kidnapped Elizabeth), and ten counts of criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to 421 years in prison on September 19, 2007. "The 9 Most Famous Kidnappings That Made Headlines." Police officers then went to the house, and rescued the other two captive females. Yet, she finally escaped in 1984, after Janice Hooker grew concerned that her husband wanted to find additional slaves. Lord Timothy Dexter: Putting the Fun in Funeral, Top 10 Sinister Moves Made By Tobacco Companies to Sell Cigarettes, Incredible Metropolises of the Ancient World, 10 Notable People Who Were the Product of Incest, What Are the Most Important Inventions of the 20th Century, Top 10 Mental Disorders Of Cartoon Characters, Josip Broz ‘Tito’ Biography: Too Tough for Stalin, Adrian Carton de Wiart Biography: The Unbreakable Soldier. Barry Keenan, Johnny Irwin, and Joe Amsler were then captured, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for kidnapping and ransoming the son of one of the most famous celebrities in history. JPG III was found alive in Southern Italy on December 15, 1973, ironically at a gas station. Cross was released; Laporte was murdered. Kidnapping is a horrible crime, which effects every kind of person, from children to adults, men and women, boys and girls. But, the outcome was positive when two toddlers that went missing in 1985 were found safe 30 years later. It is a source of major debate as to when and if these events took place. Another kidnapping victim who was abducted decades later, Shawn Hornbeck, ignored multiple opportunities to escape while being held in an apartment for four years because of promises he made to his captor to spare his own life. On December 8, 1963, the 19-year-old Sinatra was kidnapped at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. ", ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. A tent is set up in the far backyard of a home in Antioch, Calif., where authorities say kidnap victim Jaycee Lee Dugard lived on Aug. 28, 2009. In 1996 Belgian school girl Sabine Dardenne was abducted at the age of twelve while riding her bike to school by Marc Dutroux. The 9 Most Famous Kidnappings That Made Headlines. Natascha Maria Kampusch was abducted at the age of 10, on March 2, 1998. The Red Brigades didn't demand a classic ransom; rather, they wanted the Italian government to release several of their imprisoned compatriots. The years had ticked by. Despite this, a man was charged for their murders last year. The women were featured on such programs as America’s Most Wanted, but remained imprisoned by a sick man. Although some cinematic depictions present rather divergent accounts of what happened next, in the original stories, she was apparently returned to Sparta after the Trojan War concluded. Recently, three women who had been kidnapped separately over a decade ago were found alive and well, and the brothers who had kidnapped them all were jailed. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com Classmates of Ben Ownby participate in a candlelight prayer vigil on … November 11, 2002 Samantha Nicole Burns Unknown Huntington, West Virginia, US 19 Unknown The 1975 kidnapping of Samuel Bronfman—the son of Seagram tycoon Edgar Bronfman, Sr.—played like something out of the TV shows Dallas or Dynasty. 13-year-old Ben Ownby was found with him after having been missing for five days. Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Barbara Jane Mackle. On May 12, 1932, the lifeless body of Charles Lindbergh Jr. was found, about 6 weeks after he had been kidnapped from his crib. Five months later, two men were shot while burglarizing a house in Brooklyn, and one of them admitted, before he died, that he and his partner had kidnapped Ross. Nevertheless, she finally escaped on August 23, 2006, when her kidnapper temporarily “freed” her from the cellar, so that she could clean and vacuum his BMW 850i in the garden. In the more well-known incident, Helen, now married to the king of Sparta, was seduced by Prince Paris of Troy. The famous Mexican singer's son, Vicente Fernandez Jr.[? An extensive search and investigation into the kidnapping transpired, including television coverage on America’s Most Wanted, on which a drawing of the kidnapper was shown. .. why is helen of troy on there. Stayner’s kidnapping, and its aftermath, prompted California lawmakers to change state laws “to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases.”. Their kidnappings by the Front de libération du Québec set off the 1970 October Crisis. Suspected kidnappings Helen Brach, millionaire owner of a candy company; an … Her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter, and she received a Presidential pardon by President Bill Clinton, in his last official act before leaving office. Famous Abduction Cases: Colleen Stan AP Colleen Stan was abducted and held as a sex slave for over seven years by Cameron and Janice Hooker in … Janice told Stan that Cameron was not really part of the so-called “Company,” and later reported her husband to the police. What really propelled the Hearst kidnapping into the headlines was the apparent conversion of Patty Hearst to the SLA cause; she participated in at least one bank robbery and also sprayed a retail store with automatic weapon fire. The message stated that another note would be found beneath a stone at a vacant stand, 100 feet from an outlying subway station. 10 Famous Kidnappings that Made History. Lynch and his accomplice, Dominic Byrne, claimed that the kidnapping was a setup: Lynch and Sam Bronfman were having an affair, and Bronfman staged his own kidnapping to extract money from his father, threatening to expose Lynch's homosexuality if he didn't help. For the next seven years, Stan was tortured and sexually abused in many despicable ways that do not need repeating here. It's more common than one may think for kidnapped children to eventually be found alive … Hornbeck was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home. The case had run cold. Her kidnapping case is perhaps one of the most famous cases of Stockholm Syndrome in history. ... 09/13/2014, Contributor, ... 10 Famous Kidnappings - History and Headlines The kidnapper, Kenneth Parnell, sexually abused Steven, but also enrolled him in school and convinced Steven he had legal custody of him. The small cellar had a door made of concrete, and was reinforced with steel. Frank Sinatra, Jr. (freed December 1963). There, he held her for seventeen days in a concrete cell underneath his garage. His father was kidnapped and later found alive in Acapulco, Mexico. Steven Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, at the age of seven. It certainly doesn't cover anywhere near all of the kidnappings of people around the world. Eventually, nine people in Italy were arrested for the crime, but only two were convicted; most of the ransom money was never recovered; Getty III underwent plastic surgery to replace his lopped-off ear in 1977. Kidnapping is a horrifying crime, and many times, people don’t get out of their captivity alive. Her father, Henry F. McElroy, was the controversial city manager for Kansas City at the time of her disappearance. Mary McElroy was kidnapped on May 27, 1933. Cudahy Sr. promptly delivered the money to an arranged drop point, and his son was returned to his home a few hours later, unharmed. Donaldson Collection/Contributor/Getty Images. By the time Hearst was arrested in 1975, it was clear that she had undergone a particularly brutal form of brainwashing; even still, she was convicted on a robbery charge. The nightmare for these three young ladies started in 2002, when Michelle Knight disappeared in Cleveland at age 21. In July of 1973, the 16-year-old John Paul was kidnapped for real while on a trip to Rome, the perpetrators demanding a ransom of $17 million. After going with Paris to Troy, a massive alliance of Greek city-states journeyed to reclaim her for her king and husband. Waste of a place. Jayme Closs was found on January 11, 2019, after going missing in October 2018. Next, on March 12, 2003, he was spotted traveling with Elizabeth Smart — disguised in a gray wig, sunglasses, and veil — and Wanda Ileen Barzee in Sandy, Utah, by a biker who had heard of the kidnapping on America’s Most Wanted the night before. By Dr. Matthew D. Zarzeczny, author of Banned From The Internet. He was found alive in … It was a shocking but welcome turn of events, as the loved ones of those who are kidnapped too seldom receive this kind of news.