Buried alive, or How singing helped a girl survive three days in a grave (8 photos)

Kidnapping is considered one of the most heinous crimes worldwide. It's no surprise that criminals go to great lengths to avoid detection. Therefore, they carefully conceal their victims, demonstrating truly diabolical ingenuity in doing so. 20-year-old American Barbara Jane Mackle was hidden underground by her kidnappers, in a real grave, placing her in a specially prepared coffin.





A Daring Kidnapping

Barbara was kidnapped in December 1968 from a hotel in Georgia where she was staying with her mother. They were traveling home to Atlanta from college, where Mackle was attending. Her mother had taken her daughter from campus because she was ill. At the time, the Hong Kong flu epidemic was raging worldwide, killing an estimated 1 to 4 million people, according to various estimates.



Barbara Jane Mackle

On December 17th, two police officers knocked on the door of the room where Barbara and daughter were staying. The officers reported that Barbara's fiancé, Stuart Woodworth, had been in an accident. When they were let into the room, they attacked the women. They chloroformed Miss Mackle, and at gunpoint forced Barbara into a car and drove away.

Of course, they weren't cops. One of the officers was 23-year-old Gary Crist, a repeat offender recently released from prison. His partner was actually a woman disguised as a man. Her name was Ruth Eisemann-Schier, and she also had a lengthy criminal record.





Gary Crist

Crist began his downward spiral into crime at the age of 14. His first conviction was for theft. He then served time for other thefts and car thefts. Upon his final release from prison, Gary decided to stop dealing with petty crimes. He planned to kidnap a member of a wealthy family for a substantial ransom. After considering several options, the criminal settled on Barbara Mackle, the daughter of an American millionaire.

83 Hours in a Coffin

The blindfolded girl was brought to a secluded location, where everything was prepared for the gruesome operation. Barbara was placed in a fiberglass-lined box, similar to a regular coffin. Inside was an air pump connected to tubes, a battery-powered lamp, some food, and a supply of drinking water. The kidnappers had thoughtfully added a sedative to the water. A shallow trench was located nearby.



Barbara, lying in the box, was photographed holding a sign that read "Abducted." Afterward, the box was closed, placed in a trench, and covered with earth. Later, in her book, "83 Hours Before Dawn," Mackle wrote:

"I screamed and screamed. The sound of the earth hitting the lid grew fainter and fainter. Finally, I stopped hearing anything, but even then I continued screaming for a long time."

The girl found herself in a terrible situation. The pump was working, pumping air into the box through tubes from the surface. There was water and food nearby. But this was of little comfort. Barbara didn't know what the villains were thinking and was afraid they would simply leave her in the grave. To avoid panic, she began to recall various pleasant moments in her life, and then began to sing Christmas carols.



Despite Mackle's efforts to distract herself, terrifying thoughts constantly visited her. She felt much worse after the lamp's batteries died. Despair began to wash over her more and more often:

"I once said to myself, 'This is where I'm going to die.' Three or four times I fell into despair and thought that this place would become my coffin. I imagined who would find me and when." Maybe a farmer or a construction worker. When will it happen? In ten years? In twenty? I was frozen, my whole body ached. I was getting worse and worse."

Ransom Confusion

It's worth noting right away that Gary Christ didn't choose Barbara by chance. He needed someone who would pay the ransom, but there was one more condition. The kidnapper was looking for a victim in good health who could survive several days of captivity underground. He was right, and the girl passed the ordeal with honor, lying in the coffin for more than three days.



Ruth Eisemann-Shir and Gary Christ

Christ and his accomplice sent a letter with a photo of Barbara to her father, Florida real estate developer Robert Mackle. They demanded a ransom of $500,000, equivalent to $3.5 million today. Naturally, the father agreed to pay the ransom. But by the time the criminals arranged to hand over the money, Barbara had already been in the grave for two days.

The first attempt to hand over the money was unsuccessful. The kidnappers were scared off at the designated location by a random police car. However, the officers lying in wait managed to get a good look at the kidnappers' car. The second attempt also failed. The girl's parents were horrified—with each passing minute, their hopes for a successful outcome diminished.



But the police and the FBI wasted no time. They discovered that the criminals' car was registered to a certain George Deacon. Having learned his identity, investigators realized they had their first lead. Deacon made a living manufacturing ventilated boxes. It soon became clear that this identity was actually Gary Christ. After this, the identity of the second criminal, Ruth Eisemann-Shir, was also established.

Release

During the third attempt to deliver the money to the kidnappers, everything went smoothly. Robert Mackle was never told where his daughter was. But that no longer mattered. FBI agents were able to locate the location where the villains had set up their headquarters, and nearby they found a mound of fresh earth, resembling a grave. When Barbara's box lid was opened, her first words to the federal agent were: "You are the most beautiful man I've ever seen." The girl was emaciated, but perfectly healthy.



The kidnappers were soon apprehended. They were tried, and Krist received a 10-year prison sentence, while his partner, Ruth, received a four-year sentence. Surprisingly, this was the last conviction for the career criminal Krist. After serving his sentence, he broke with his past and trained as a doctor. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, after her release, returned to her homeland, Honduras.

Barbara Mackle's life turned out well. She married her boyfriend, Stuart, and had four children with him. The couple now lives in Florida and is raising grandchildren. Barbara Jane Mackle's book, "83 Hours Before Dawn," written shortly after the horrific incident, became a bestseller and has been translated into many languages.