Buzz
In 1932, one of history's most notorious crimes unfolded when Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of the famous aviator, was abducted for ransom. Despite the ransom being paid, the child was not returned, and his body was discovered near the Lindbergh residence two months later. Although a suspect was arrested and executed, the case continues to be shrouded in mystery and debate.
Sadly, many other high-profile ransom kidnappings also ended tragically. Some victims were killed or never located, while in other instances, suspects were apprehended and convicted but refused to disclose the fate of the abducted individuals.
10. Charley Ross
Charley Ross, a four-year-old boy, became one of the earliest kidnapping cases to gain widespread attention. On July 1, 1874, while playing with his older brother in their front yard, two men arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, luring the boys with promises of candy and fireworks. After taking them into town and sending Walter into a store with money for fireworks, the men drove away with Charley.
Christian Ross, Charley’s father, who appeared to be wealthy, was sent ransom notes demanding $20,000 for his son’s return. However, a recent stock market crash had left Christian financially strained, forcing him to seek help from the authorities. Despite the kidnappers providing detailed instructions for the ransom exchange, they never appeared. Months later, two criminals, Bill Mosher and Joe Douglas, were shot during a burglary. Mosher died immediately, but Douglas, before succumbing to his injuries, admitted their involvement in the kidnapping of Charley Ross. Charley’s brother confirmed they were the men from the carriage. Tragically, the fate of Charley remains unknown, as the truth died with them.
9. Dorothy Ann Distelhurst
On September 19, 1934, five-year-old Dorothy Ann Distelhurst left her school to walk home but vanished without a trace. Authorities launched an extensive search, but no clues were found. As national media coverage intensified, the Distelhurst family began receiving ransom letters. However, it was unclear whether any of these were legitimate or simply opportunistic attempts fueled by the case’s publicity.
One particularly chilling ransom threat warned that Dorothy Ann’s eyes would be destroyed with acid unless her family paid $175,000. On November 13, two workers at the Davidson County Tuberculosis Hospital stumbled upon her body while digging flower beds in a secluded area. Her skull was fractured, and her belongings and clothes were scattered nearby. Most horrifically, her face had been disfigured with acid. Despite a thorough investigation, the killer was never identified, and the case remains unresolved.
8. Douglas Mueller
On March 16, 1977, around 9:30 PM, 19-year-old Douglas Mueller ended his shift at a Scottsdale, Arizona gas station and headed home but never made it. His parents alerted the police, and the following day, they received an anonymous call directing them to a payphone for further instructions
The note instructed the Muellers to pay $57,000 for Douglas’s release and provided details for the ransom drop-off. The family complied, leaving the money at the designated spot, but no one collected it. Over the next two months, the Muellers received three additional calls and conducted three more drops, yet the ransom was never retrieved. Douglas’s car was eventually found abandoned at an airport, but it wasn’t until 2011 that his family got some closure. A hiker discovered a femur bone in a remote desert, and DNA testing confirmed it was Douglas’s. However, the rest of his remains are still missing, and his killer remains at large.
7. Annie Laurie Hearin
On July 26, 1988, 73-year-old Annie Laurie Hearin disappeared from her home in Jackson, Mississippi. Her husband, Robert Hearin, a wealthy and influential businessman, returned to find bloodstains and a ransom note. The note demanded payments to franchises owned by School Pictures, a company Robert had acquired years earlier. To secure Annie’s release, Robert was instructed to distribute the ransom across 12 School Pictures locations nationwide.
During a press conference where Robert pleaded for Annie’s safe return, he received a second note, allegedly signed by her, threatening that she would be locked in a cellar if the demands weren’t met. Robert sent the money to the specified franchises, one of which was linked to Newton Alfred Winn, an attorney who had previously sued Robert over unpaid debts. Authorities suspected Winn’s involvement, and in 1990, he was arrested and sentenced to 19 years for conspiracy to kidnap, extortion, and perjury. Winn consistently denied guilt and was released in 2006. Tragically, Annie was never located.
6. Clark Toshiro Handa
On the night of August 23, 1984, three-year-old Clark Toshiro Handa was taken from his bedroom in Fairfield, California. The Handa family had nine children, and Toshiro shared his room with five siblings, none of whom remembered anyone entering the room that night. The following morning, Toshiro’s mother discovered a note on his bunk bed and noticed the nearby window was ajar. The note demanded a ransom for Toshiro’s safe return.
The Handas followed the instructions and delivered the money to the designated location, but no one appeared (a recurring pattern in these cases). They never received further communication from the kidnapper. Sadly, it took nearly a week for missing posters to be distributed and for the case to gain media attention, leaving investigators with no substantial leads. The ransom demand was especially puzzling, as the Handas were not wealthy, making the motive behind the abduction unclear.
5. June Robles
June Robles, a six-year-old girl, was the daughter of Fernando Robles, who owned the Robles Electric Company and was among the wealthiest families in Tucson, Arizona. On April 25, 1934, June was kidnapped while leaving Roskruge School. Two hours later, a boy, paid 25 cents to deliver a note, handed it to Fernando. The note, signed by someone calling themselves “Z,” demanded a $15,000 ransom for June’s safe return.
After alerting the police, June’s grandfather received a second note from the kidnapper, who reduced the ransom to $10,000. Fernando followed the detailed instructions for the money drop, but no one appeared (unsurprisingly). On May 14, the governor received an anonymous postcard revealing June’s location. She was discovered alive in a metal box buried in the Tucson desert. Despite being chained inside for 19 days, the kidnappers had provided food and water, keeping her alive. Although there were many suspects, insufficient evidence prevented any convictions. A federal grand jury even suggested the possibility that the Robles family orchestrated the kidnapping as a hoax.
4. Robert Wiles
Robert Wiles, the 26-year-old son of millionaire Tom Wiles, owner of National Flight Services, worked at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport in Florida. On April 1, 2008, Robert vanished from his workplace. Two days later, his parents received an email from “Group X” demanding $750,000 for his release. Tom complied with the instructions, leaving the money as directed, but no one collected it, and “Group X” never contacted him again.
Interestingly, Tom had earlier secured kidnapping insurance from his company for precisely $750,000. This raised suspicions that someone within National Flight Services might have orchestrated the crime. Investigators focused on the operations manager at Lakeland, who was allegedly the last person to see Robert. It was revealed that on the night Robert disappeared, Holt had bought plastic sheeting and duct tape. His alibi fell apart, and he was accused of using Robert’s phone to send the ransom email. In January 2012, Holt was found guilty of manslaughter and received a 30-year prison sentence.
3. Virginia Piper
On July 27, 1972, investment banker Harry C. Piper Jr. returned home to find his housekeeper tied to a chair. She informed him that his wife, Virginia, had been taken by two masked men who left a ransom note demanding $1 million—the largest ransom in U.S. history. Harry was instructed to leave the money behind a Minneapolis bar, which he did. The following day, an anonymous tip led authorities to Virginia, who was discovered alive, chained to a tree in Jay Cooke State Park.
Only $4,000 of the ransom was ever recovered. In 1977, Kenneth Carnahan and Donald Larson were charged with the kidnapping. Although initially convicted, they were granted a retrial after it was determined that the judge had improperly excluded a defense witness’s testimony. This witness claimed to have overheard other suspects planning the crime. During the retrial, an expert testified that the FBI had tampered with evidence, leading to Carnahan and Larson being acquitted.
2. Daniel Goldman
In 1966, 17-year-old Daniel Goldman, the son of wealthy contractor Aaron Goldman, was abducted. Early on March 28, an intruder entered the Goldman home, demanding Aaron and his wife pay $10,000 in cash. When they claimed they didn’t have the money, the assailant tied them up, threatened to kill Daniel, and demanded a $25,000 ransom, promising to call with instructions. He then took Daniel and fled in Daniel’s car, which was later found abandoned. The kidnapper never contacted the Goldmans again.
One theory suggested the kidnapping was carried out by Joe “Chicken” Cacciatore, a career criminal who matched the family’s description of the abductor. Rumors circulated that the Goldmans kept $10,000 at home to help Daniel avoid the draft when he turned 18. Cacciatore allegedly heard this and kidnapped Daniel just one day before his 18th birthday. In 1986, a woman claiming to be Daniel’s ex-girlfriend told a bartender that Daniel was killed after recognizing one of his kidnappers, but she vanished before police could investigate.
1. Georgia Jean Weckler
On May 1, 1947, eight-year-old Georgia Jean Weckler was driven home from school by a neighbor and left at the end of her rural driveway. She never made it inside and was never seen again. Around the time of her disappearance, witnesses reported seeing a Ford sedan in the area, and later, a girl matching Georgia’s description was seen struggling with a man inside the car in Fort Atkinson.
Given her father’s status as a wealthy public official, speculation arose that Georgia might have been kidnapped for ransom, though no demands were ever made. Months later, Buford Sennett, a convicted rapist and murderer, confessed that he and an accomplice had abducted Georgia for ransom. They allegedly gave her an overdose of sleeping pills, causing her death, and disposed of her body in the Blue River. A witness claimed to have seen Sennett burning her remains, and ashes found on his property were tested, but the results were inconclusive. Sennett later retracted his confession, leaving Georgia Jean Weckler’s fate unresolved.
