S05.E04: Coffin for Christmas

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Heiress Barbara Mackle is kidnapped and buried alive in a coffin-like capsule; local police and the FBI race to Mackle's abductor before her time underground runs out.

[ratgirlagogo]

So anyone see last night's episode yet?  Confusingly the IMDB lists this as episode 2.  I vaguely remember this case which sure seems to have inspired a lot of TV and movie plots since - keeping somebody alive in an underground crypt or coffin, with the mechanical fan for air.  That poor girl - she just was lucky on so many levels.  First that the parents were able to make contact after the first attempt at paying the ransom went south, second that apparently the kidnapper really WAS good at building containers for holding live animal specimens, and third that the FBI was able to find her before it was too late.   One thing that threw me was that the main kidnapper was named Gary Krist - and there's a pretty well-known writer of suspense and true-crime named Gary Krist!  I was glad to find out it wasn't the same guy!   

Edited March 4, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[Annber03]

That was a wild story. I actually got a little emotional at the blurb about Barbara and Stewart at the end of the episode, though. Aw :). I really admire the way she managed to keep her wits about her and help keep herself calm and focused while trapped, and the fact she was able to move on from her ordeal as she did...good for her. She's very inspiring. 

I felt for her poor mom, too, having to be witness to her daughter being taken from her like that. I wondered how nervous she must've felt opening the door when the actual police arrived, given she'd been so horribly fooled by people posing as police just a short time earlier. 

The bit with the whole thing of Barbara and her friends "playing dead" as kids was a really creepy touch. 

[badhaggis]

The pictures at the end once gave me chills. This show is so well done it is amazing! I am sad there isn't a new episode next week.

[Sammich]

I’m surprised Barbara was able to survive for 80 hours considering she had the Hong Kong flu. She is one amazing woman.

[Mabinogia]

It was nice to watch an episode with a "happy" ending. I didn't know of this case so I had no idea if they would find her in time so I was so happy when the detective saw the pipes in the ground and started calling out and she responded. 

She really is an amazing young woman. I don't think I could have survived that and gone on to live a normal, happy life. Good for her. And I squeed a bit to hear she married her good friend Woodward. Awwwww

I'm also happy they found the kidnappers. There was some good detective work in this one. Guess it helps to be pals with J Edgar. 

[sugarbaker design]

Couldn't watch this episode.  The TV-movie from the 70's based on the case gave me claustrophobic nightmares for weeks!

Edited March 5, 2018 by sugarbaker design

[geekgirl921]

It's always amazing to me that these random bits of trivia stick in my brain but yes, there was a tv movie about this case where Robert Urich played the father. If I remember correctly it was a good movie that seemed to stick pretty close to the facts though I seem to remember that they made the female accomplice at little more femme fatale than she apparently was. 

[Fable]

This is bizarre.  It seems like the kidnapper went through a lot of pain and unnecessary steps to secure Barbara.  I mean, there are obviously easier ways.  Is there any evidence that he knew her and wanted her to suffer, or was he just some sort of mad scientist?  

[Darian]

On 3/4/2018 at 5:07 PM, ratgirlagogo said:

One thing that threw me was that the main kidnapper was named Gary Krist - and there's a pretty well-known writer of suspense and true-crime named Gary Krist!  I was glad to find out it wasn't the same guy!   

I Googled that so fast. Before he was well-known I wrote him to tell him how much I enjoyed his first book (short stories, not true crime). I got a lovely, generous response. I figured it was probably a different guy, but still...Anne Perry has a writing career. Was very glad they are different people. 

I don't know how that poor woman remained sane. I almost couldn't watch but this show usually does such a good job I did. It really was good investigative work.