Just two seconds

by Gavin De Becker; Thomas A. Taylor; Jeff Marquart

  817. Date: February 26, 1975

  Target: U.S. Consul John Egan

  Location: Cordoba, Argentina

  Details: Egan was kidnapped from his home by terrorists. On February 28, his body was found along a road, shot in the head, and wrapped in a flag.

  818. Date: February 2, 1977

  Target: Marci Klein (clothing designer Calvin Klein's daughter)

  Location: New York, New York

  Details: Eleven year old Marci was riding the bus to school. A former babysitter Paule Ransay, approached Marci and said that her father had been taken to the hospital. Marci got off the bus and went with her. Ransay's half-brother and an accomplice kidnapped Marci and made it appear they were also kidnapping Ransay. Klein received a series of phone calls demanding a $100,000 ransom. He contacted the FBI. Klein delivered the money to the Pan Am Building, as instructed. Marci was released about an hour later, ending her ten-hour ordeal. The three kidnappers were arrested, confessed to the crime, were convicted and sent to prison.

  819. Date: September 5, 1977

  Target: Businessman Hans Martin Schleyer

  Location: Cologne, West Germany

  Details: Schleyer was being driven home from his office, accompanied by a driver and three bodyguards in a two-car motorcade. Along the route, several Baader-Meinhoff terrorists launched an ambush. A car swerved in front of Schleyer's car, causing it to stop. His bodyguards jumped out of the follow-up car, but were gunned down. The terrorists also killed the bodyguards in Schleyer's car, and kidnapped him. On October 19, Schleyer's body was found in the trunk of a car. He had been shot in the head three times, and his throat was cut.

  820. Date: March 16, 1978

  Target: Former Prime Minister Aldo Moro

  Location: Rome, Italy

  Details: Moro was being driven to work in a two-car motorcade, accompanied by five bodyguards. Eleven members of the Red Brigade terrorist group ambushed him. As the motorcade approached a stop sign, a car pulled in front and stopped suddenly. Moro's car was following too close and struck the car. Then Moro's follow car, also traveling too close, rammed into Moro's car, pinning his vehicle between the two vehicles with no chance of escape. During surveillance the terrorists had determined that both Moro's driver and the driver of the follow car tailgated, and they exploited that error common to many protectors. The attackers had also parked a car along the curb next to the attack site to ensure that Moro's car would be blocked from possible escape. Two men got out of the blocking vehicle as if to inspect the damage. They were carrying gym bags from which they pulled pistols and started firing through the front side windows of Moro's car, killing Moro's driver and the bodyguard. At the same time a second attack element, consisting of four men dressed in Alitalia (Italian Airlines) uniforms, was standing in front of a closed bar as if waiting for a bus to the airport. Since many airline personnel live in the area, this group did not seem suspicious. However, at the instant of the collision, these men pulled weapons from their flight bags and rushed towards Moro's follow car. The bodyguards in the front seat were killed before they could draw their weapons. A third bodyguard, who had been riding in the right rear seat, managed to get out of the rear door and fire three rounds before he was killed. His three well-placed shots wounded two of the terrorists.

  A third attack element, consisting of two terrorists, was hiding behind a row of bushed in front of the bar. A few seconds after the start of the attack these two men jumped out, ran towards Moro's car, pulled him from the back seat and led him to a waiting car. The terrorists also had another car parked around the corner from the bar. When the attack was over, this car made a turn and acted as the lead vehicle. It was followed by the car carrying Moro and the car containing the other terrorists.

  The whole operation lasted no more than 30 seconds and involved at least 12 terrorists who fired between 80 and 90 rounds, killing all five bodyguards. The terrorists did several things to limit the number of innocent bystanders and to confuse the police before, during, and after the operation. They slashed the tires of a flower vender whose normal place of work was near the attack site. Telephone lines were overloaded during the attack, and false alerts helped to further scatter the police after the attack.

  The terrorists demanded that 13 leftist terrorists be freed from jail. Prime Minister Andreotti refused to concede. On May 9, 55 days after he was abducted, Aldo Moro was found shot to death in the trunk of a station wagon in central Rome.

  821. Date: February 14, 1979

  Target: U.S. Ambassador Adolph Dubs

  Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

  Details: Four Afghans kidnapped Dubs while he was being driven to the embassy. The kidnappers demanded the release of various Muslim "religious figures." Dubs was killed, along with four alleged terrorists, when Afghan police stormed the hotel room where he was being held.

  822. Date: September 4, 1981

  Target: French Ambassador Louis Delamore

  Location: Beirut, Lebanon

  Details: Gunmen in a car forced Delamore's car off the road in an apparent kidnapping attempt. He was later killed. Delamore had shunned security.

  823. Date: March 16, 1984

  Target: CIA Officer William Buckley

  Location: Beirut, Lebanon

  Details: Buckley was kidnapped and later murdered by members of Islamic Jihad. It was later determined that he had died in June 1985 of either extreme torture or lack of medical care.

  824. Date: February 7, 1985

  Target: DEA Agent Enrique Camerena Salazar

  Location: Mexico

  Details: Under the orders of narcotrafficker Rafael Caro Quintero, Salazar and his pilot were kidnapped, tortured and executed.

  825. Date: September 30, 1985

  Target: Soviet Diplomats (Arkady Katkov, Oleg Spirin, Valery Mirkov, and Dr. Nikolai Svirsky)

  Location: Beirut, Lebanon

  Details: Sunni terrorists kidnapped four Soviet diplomats. Katkov was killed and three were later released on October 30.

  826. Date: November 6, 1985

  Target: Supreme Court Judges

  Location: Bogota, Colombia

  Details: Thirty-five terrorists with the group M-19 stormed the Palace of Justice, taking hostages. Colombian troops ended the siege 27 hours later in a raid that killed 100 people, including 11 judges.

  827. Date: October 9, 1991

  Target: Diplomat Liviu Radu

  Location: New Delhi, India

  Details: Radu was abducted from his car by several Sikh terrorists while en route to work, and forced into another car. He was released on November 26.

  828. Date: January 17, 1992

  Target: Corporate Vice President Michael Barnes

  Location: Manila, Philippines

  Details: As Barnes was arriving at his office, four men armed with pistols cut him off with their van. They forced Barnes into the van and kidnapped him. He was later rescued during a commando raid.

  829. Date: April 29, 1992

  Target: Exxon President Sidney Reso

  Location: Morris Township, New Jersey

  Details: Arthur Seale was a former police officer and security guard at Exxon with serious financial problems. Together with his wife, Jackie, they planned to kidnap Reso and demand $18.5 million ransom. They watched Reso's house and learned his morning routine. On the morning of the kidnapping, they moved Reso's newspaper from one side of the driveway to the other so Reso would have to get out and walk around the car to pick it up. When Reso got out for the paper, Arthur Seale approached him with a gun and forced him into a rental van driven by Jackie. Seale's gun accidentally went off, wounding Reso in the arm. The Seales drove him to a storage facility where they treated his wound, and put him -- blindfolded, handcuffed, and gagged -- into a coffin-like wooden box. Reso died on May 3, 1992, just five days after his kidnapping. The Seales removed him from the box and buried him at another location. After their arrests, Jackie led officers to Reso's grave. Arthur pled guilty and wa
s sentenced to 95 years in federal prison and 70 years' state imprisonment (after serving his federal time). Jackie was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

  830. Date: May 26, 1992

  Target: Charles Geschke, CEO of Adobe Systems Inc.

  Location: California

  Details: Geschke was kidnapped at gunpoint from the Adobe parking lot. He was held for ransom for four days while the FBI desperately searched for him. He was subsequently located by a FBI SWAT team in a rented house in Hollister, California, freed, and rushed back to his family. The two kidnappers were eventually sentenced to life terms in state prison.

  831. Date: March 8, 1993

  Target: Ambassador Alfonso Robelo

  Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

  Details: Five men armed with AK-47s stormed the Nicaraguan Embassy, taking Robelo and 23 others hostage. They released 14. On March 21, Robelo and the rest were released. The gunmen were given $250,000 and allowed safe passage.

  832. Date: July 26, 1993

  Target: Kevyn Wynn (daughter of Casino Executive Steve Wynn)

  Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

  Details: Wynn was kidnapped from her garage as she arrived home. She was released unharmed after a $1.5 million ransom was paid.

  833. Date: August 4, 1993

  Target: Businessman Harvey Weinstein

  Location: New York, New York

  Details: Weinstein was kidnapped from his car outside a diner that he frequently visited. He was buried alive for 12 days. Police rescued him on August 16 after a $3 million ransom was paid.

  834. Date: November 25, 1993

  Target: U.S. Diplomat Haynes Mahoney

  Location: San'a, Yemen

  Details: Five gunmen kidnapped Mahoney from his car a block away from a reception that he had attended. He was released unharmed on November 31.

  835. Date: March 27, 1994

  Target: Cattle Baron Wayne Stevenson

  Location: Hobson, Montana

  Details: Stevenson disappeared after he drove his pickup to a corral. The family received a $1 million ransom demand. Stevenson's body was found shot to death on March 29.

  836. Date: April 14, 1994

  Target: Deputy Prime Minister Selomotsi Baholo

  Location: Maseru, Lesotho

  Details: Rebel soldiers kidnapped Baholo and four cabinet ministers. Baholo was shot to death, but the others were released.

  837. Date: December 17, 1996

  Target: Supreme Court Justice Carlos Giusti, Ambassadors, and Diplomats

  Location: Lima, Peru

  Details: Fourteen Tupac Amaru rebels, dressed as waiters, attacked the Japanese ambassador's residence during a party, using automatic weapons and grenades. They exchanged gunfire with police for almost an hour and took hundreds of hostages, including two Peruvian ministers and 15 ambassadors from Asia, Europe, and America. Their demands included releasing 300 imprisoned comrades. By December 31, 400 hostages had been released, but 74 high-profile hostages remained in custody. On April 22, 1997, Peruvian commandos stormed the building, rescuing 71 of the 72 who had been held for 126 days. Two commandos and all fourteen terrorists were killed. Giusti died of a heart attack. Shrapnel wounded many other hostages. Police warned the hostages over a hidden radio three minutes before the raid. A series of tunnels dug under the compound allowed police to get close and monitor the terrorist's movements. The 140 commandos in three teams stormed through the front and rear doors, and the roof.

  838. Date: June 5, 1997

  Target: Millionaire Johnny Allison

  Location: Mayflower, Arkansas

  Details: A man walked into Allison's office and said he was the son of a friend. He then kidnapped Allison with a gun and demanded $1 million ransom. Allison drove him around in his car for 90 minutes and then intentionally drove his Mercedes into a dump truck. The man, a former Special Forces soldier in Korea and Vietnam, limped away from the crash and eluded police for two days. He had escaped from prison on May 18, where he was serving time for another kidnapping.

  839. Date: July 10, 1997

  Target: Town Councilor Miguel Angel Blanco

  Location: Ermau, Spain

  Details: Eleven days after police rescued a prison official held for 1-1/2 years by ETA terrorists, Blanco was kidnapped en route to work from his home. He was later shot twice in the head, dumped alongside the road, and died. ETA terrorists have killed almost 800 people since its formation in 1968.

  840. Date: September 17, 1997

  Target: Millionaire Nelson Gross

  Location: Edgewater, New Jersey

  Details: FBI agents investigated the apparent kidnapping of Gross. He vanished after leaving the Binghamton Ferryboat, his family's floating restaurant. He was last seen alive driving his BMW with two men, before withdrawing $20,000 from his bank. Gross' body was found on the banks of the Hudson River on September 24.

  841. Date: November 30, 1997

  Target: Opposition Leader Samuel Dokie

  Location: Liberia

  Details: Plainclothes security men arrested Dokie, his wife, and bodyguard while they were on their way to a wedding. Their bodies were later found inside their burned-out car. He was a leading political opponent to President Charles Taylor.

  842. Date: December 20, 1997

  Target: Trade Counselor Jan-Olof Nystrom

  Location: Moscow, Russia

  Details: A gunman, armed with a pistol and grenade, seized Nystrom as he was driving his car into the Swedish Embassy, and demanded $370,000 and a flight out of Russia. Two hundred police surrounded the compound, negotiated for four hours, and convinced him to trade Nystrom for the negotiator, Colonel Anatoly Savelyev. A few hours later, Savelyev became ill and passed out. A medic and the gunman were removing him from the car when a sniper shot the gunman. He shot back and snipers fired a barrage of gunfire, killing the gunman and wounding Savelyev in the leg. (Though the wound was not fatal, Savelyev died of a heart attack.)

  843. Date: January 13, 1998

  Target: Finance Ministry Official Masahiro Abe

  Location: Tokyo, Japan

  Details: A former leader of an ultra-rightist group entered the 14th floor of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and requested a meeting with Abe. He was served tea while he waited. When Abe met him, the man pulled a pistol and took him hostage. By nightfall, 400 police were deployed. After a daylong standoff, the man released Abe and surrendered to police.

  844. Date: October 6, 1998

  Target: Mayor Ron Loveridge

  Location: Riverside, California

  Details: A man burst into a meeting room and took Loveridge and six city officials hostage. Police officers shot the man and arrested him. Loveridge, a police officer, and two city councilmen were wounded in the incident. The man had written letters to President Clinton, Governor Wilson, and the mayor about being wrongly fired from a city job in 1994.

  845. Date: November 15, 1998

  Target: U.S. Businessman

  Location: Cundinamarca, Colombia

  Details: Armed assailants followed a U.S. businessman and his family home and kidnapped his son after stealing money, jewelry, one automobile, and two cell phones. The kidnappers demanded $1 million in ransom. On January 21, 1999, the kidnappers released the boy.

  846. Date: March 5, 1999

  Target: Envoy Gennady Shpigun

  Location: Grozny, Chechnya

  Details: Five masked men, armed with pistols and automatic rifles, boarded a plane at the airport and kidnapped Shpigun. The plane was about to depart.

  847. Date: November 25, 2000

  Target: Hyundai Manager Lazaro Montes

  Location: Silvania, Colombia

  Details: Fifteen heavily armed gunmen, identifying themselves as FARC rebels, kidnapped Montes from his country retreat.

  848. Date: April 5, 2001

  Target: U.S. Businessman Marc Ashton

  Location: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  Details: Ashton was abducted from in front of his
home by at least five gunmen. He managed to escape a few hours later. The captors had reportedly sought a $1 million ransom.

  849. Date: September 24, 2001

  Target: Consuelo Araujo (Wife of Colombian Attorney General)

  Location: Valledupar, Colombia

  Details: Suspected leftist rebels kidnapped Araujo, and ten others traveling with her, including two bodyguards. The group was stopped at a rebel roadblock.

  850. Date: February 20, 2002

  Target: Senator Jorge Gechem Turbay

  Location: Neiva, Colombia

  Details: Turbay became the fifth member of Colombia's Congress to be kidnapped when FARC rebels hijacked a domestic airliner, carrying 35 passengers. Shortly after takeoff, four guerillas -- two men and two women -- commandeered the plane. They forced the pilot to land on a highway near the town of Hobo, where they were met by several dozen guerillas in four-wheel-drive vehicles. All the other passengers were freed.

  851. Date: February 23, 2002

  Target: Senator Ingrid Betancourt (Presidential Candidate)

  Location: San Vicente del Caguan, Colombia