In December 1968, Barbara Jane Mackle was kidnapped from a motel room outside Atlanta, Georgia. The circumstances surrounding her abduction were so strange, investigators could barely make sense of them. The search for twenty year old Barbara Jane Mackle became a race against time that gripped her family and drew national attention.
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In December 1968, Barbara Jane Mackle was kidnapped from a motel room outside Atlanta, Georgia. The circumstances surrounding her abduction were so strange, investigators could barely make sense of them. The search for twenty year old Barbara Jane Mackle became a race against time that gripped her family and drew national attention.
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Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
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Episode Sources
- Miller, Gene. 83 Hours Till Dawn. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971.
- “FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives: Ruth Eisemann-Schier, 1969.” Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ten Most Wanted Program Archives.
- “Kidnapped Heiress Rescued from Buried Box.” The Miami Herald, December 21, 1968.
- “Barbara Mackle Found Alive.” The Atlanta Constitution, December 21, 1968.
- “Agents Seize Suspect in Mackle Kidnapping.” The Miami Herald, December 21–23, 1968.
- “Man Held in Heiress Kidnap Case.” The New York Times, December 22, 1968.
- “Girl in Box Case.” Los Angeles Times, December 22, 1968.
- “Suspect Caught in Marsh After Days on the Run.” Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), December 1968.
- “Woman on FBI List Seized in Oklahoma.” The Oklahoman, February 8, 1969.
- United States v. Gary Steven Krist, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1969.
- United States v. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1969.
- FBI, Supplemental Case Report: Kidnapping of Barbara Jane Mackle, December 1968 (declassified portions).
- Jordan, C.D. “Account of the Mackle Kidnapping Rescue.” Interview, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 1970.
- Associated Press. “Heiress Found Alive in Buried Box; Ransom Paid.” December 21, 1968.
- United Press International. “Search Intensifies for Kidnappers After Ransom Drop Fails.” December 1968.
- “Krist Granted Medical License Despite Record.” The Indianapolis News, July 23, 1985.
- U.S. Department of Justice. “South Florida Man Sentenced in Cocaine Trafficking Case.” DOJ Press Release, 2006.
- “Eisemann-Schier Paroled and Deported.” The Miami Herald, 1973.
- Emory Wheel (Emory University). “Student Kidnapped from Decatur Motel.” December 18–22, 1968 coverage.
- “The Mackle Kidnapping Revisited.” People Magazine (retrospective feature), 1998.
- “Buried Alive: The 1968 Abduction of Barbara Mackle.” CNN.com, Crime Retrospective Series, 2003.
- “83 Hours in the Earth.” CBS News Sunday Morning, archival retrospective segment.
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
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