Modus Operandi by Mauro Corvasce (universal ebook reader txt) 📕

The kidnappers will then drive to a location where the victim will be kept. The victim will probably be moved periodically from place to place to avoid detection. The ransom demands will be sent in a note by courier or in a videotaped message showing the victim to assure the authorities that they indeed have him. Sometimes, ransom arrangements will be made via the telephone or through a television, radio station or local newspaper.

Terrorists usually demand ransom to carry on "the cause." This ransom will include large amounts of money, sometimes in the millions, and of course the release of political comrades who are incarcerated around the world. These ransom demands are basically made for the benefit of the media rather than for the monetary gain. Think back to the kidnappings and hijackings which happened in Iran and Beirut; money became secondary to coverage of the cause.

In some cases, to assure the authorities that their demands must be met, the victim will have a body part removed and shipped to the family.

Did you ever wonder why no Communist officials or citizens were ever kidnapped? This is because once a high-ranking official of the KGB was kidnapped in a Mideast country. An investigation was conducted and one of the kidnappers was kidnapped and cut into little bitty pieces, leaving only his head intact. By the way, they used a chain saw to do this. After the dismemberment, the KGB carefully wrapped his body parts in a box, so the victim's face stared up at the kidnappers when the box was opened. The victim's body was accompanied by a short note describing what would happen to the remainder of the group if the kidnap victim was not returned. This merry package was dropped off in front of the leader's residence. Needless to say, within twenty-four hours, the kidnap victim was returned safely.

Parental Abduction

When a spouse is divorcing, it is usually over strong conflict or physical abuse. One spouse may be intent on leaving the other for another love interest. There may be sexual abuse or domestic violence directed toward the children. Sometimes the noncustodial parent abducts the child or children in the family.

If the abducting noncustodial parent feels that she is doing this to protect her children from additional sexual abuse, she may remove the children by telling them that they are going for a ride. This is the beginning of the abduction. The parent tells the children that their other parent does not love them anymore, or she will fabricate other stories in an attempt to distance the children from the rest of the family.

In the United States today, underground movements assist noncustodial parents in eluding law enforcement, getting custody returned to them, and providing basic life support. These underground movements are made up of families and sympathetic supporters of abused and neglected children. They set aside basements and other areas in their homes to accommodate the runners. They will provide them with food, transportation, money and legal expenses to assist them in their time of need. When a location gets discovered or after a certain amount of time, the family is moved to another location, which could be in the same town or several states away. This underground movement contacts sympathetic family members by mailing letters to an out-of-state safehouse who in turn will either forward the letters to another location or deliver them to the family.

Parents who are not citizens of the United States will abduct their child and return to their home country. Sometimes the noncustodial parent arranges a vacation to his native country on the premise of meeting family members. Once they arrive or a short time later, the custodial parent will be informed that the children are not returning to the United States. There is nothing the spouse can do to have the child returned to the United States, other than kidnapping the child in return.

Stranger Abduction

It is not really known nor could it be precisely analyzed what percentage of abductions are by a stranger. Because of the runaway population, throwaway kids or family members involved in the disappearance of their children, an exact figure can not be determined.

When a stranger abduction occurs, it is usually a random event and the child does not have the ability to escape or seek help. The offender could be a drifter, which makes it incredibly hard to locate or even to identify him. When stranger abduction occurs, they will be driving their own vehicles and lure the child over to the vehicle with promise of a reward, a plea for assistance, or by stating that they are there on behalf of their parents, who have been injured, and they need the child's assistance. Once in the vehicle, the abductor will secure the victim with physical restraints and make a quick getaway. The offender makes the abduction for a variety of reasons. There may be a sexual connec-lion where the offender will seek out a certain sex, age and type of victim, known as a profile.

Some offenders maintain custody for just a short time, where others keep the child until they become a liability or no longer fit their sexual profile. Offenders may trade their victims to each other or eventually kill them and dispose of them in an isolated area, out of state, so when they are found, identification is nearly impossible. Stranger abduction is considered by some to be performed by a network of offenders, where victims are taken and passed around and abused throughout the United States. Others believe that there is no network and that only a few offenders are responsible for the abductions committed in the United States.

Serial Killer as Kidnapper

When you have offenders who abduct children or adults for the purpose of killing them, called serial killers, we classify them as kidnappers. Most serial killers prefer a certain type of victim, often a person who will not