If you’d been abducted and your family was notified by the perpetrators that you’d be released in exchange for money, what course of action could ensure your safe release? Who should your family call or not call to assist them? How could they verify if it’s a hoax or not? There are so many variables to deal with that it’s difficult to know if steps taken to meet the kidnappers’ demands will be successful or trigger additional problems. The truth is, even if you’re not wealthy, recognizable, or associated with any illicit activities, all that kidnappers need to do is make an assumption that you’re worth something to someone. The longer the clock ticks on any kidnapping, the greater that victim’s level of incarceration becomes and the less likely it is that they’ll ever be recovered.
In Issue 25, we asked counter-custody expert Ed Calderon, “What’s the usual outcome for the victims if the kidnappers’ demands aren’t met?” Ed’s answer was rather morbid. “Death is usually the immediate outcome. Body disposal in Mexico occurs on an industrial level, and you will likely never be found. They’re very professional when it comes to body disposal. Caustic sodas, pig farms, and mass graves are all over the place, and the forensic science isn’t at the level where you will be identified post-mortem.” That being said, we asked trained hostage negotiator Kris Southards and Arizona detective Cory Fechtelkotter to weigh in on what to do if they were confronted with a possible kidnapping for ransom situation.
The Scenario:
SITUATION TYPE
Ransom
YOUR CREW
You, your brother, and sister-in-law
LOCATION
Your hometown
SEASON
Winter
WEATHER
Snowy; high 27 degrees F, low 12 degrees F
The Setup: From the Lindbergh kidnapping to the crew of the Maran Centaurus oil tanker to John Paul Getty III to Patty Hearst, ransom kidnappings are nothing new. However, don’t think you have to be a business magnate or famous individual to be a target. If a kidnapper thinks someone — whether it’s a government, employer, or loved one — would pay in exchange for your life, that’s all the motivation they’ll need.
While some engaged in this activity may be unsophisticated individuals hoping for a quick buck, others are international criminal syndicates or drug cartels that have turned kidnappings into a cottage industry. The bottom line is you don’t know who you’re dealing with until the wheels of the crime are in motion. If someone you know is taken under the auspices of a kidnapping and the perpetrators are demanding a ransom in exchange for the kidnapper, how should you handle it?
There’s a common assumption that ransom kidnappings only happen to the families of billionaires and politicians, but this isn’t the case. After all, why would criminals only target high-profile individuals who have enough money and power to instantly trigger a nationwide
