Follow American Hostage wherever you get your podcasts to binge all eight episodes right now.

This podcast is based on a true story of a hostage crisis that took place in Indianapolis in 1977.

Listener discretion is advised.

Episode 4.

The Profiler

When a guy's neck is on the line was a common euphemism used around newsrooms, a casual way of saying someone's in a bind.

But when that guy's neck has a dead man's line strapped around it, with a sawed-off shotgun aimed square at the back of his head, believe me, there's nothing casual about it,

especially when you're the only thing standing between his life

and the man with the trigger.

Look, I'm sorry I couldn't make it tonight, Barb.

I can take the couch.

I don't want you on the couch, because I don't want to spend a week hearing about your back. What if I didn't pick up the phone, huh? What if it wasn't me?

Fred... I already apologized, Barb.

Don't barb me.

I don't know what else I can do.

Why is it that every time we talk nowadays it's because you're apologizing. Barbara, you've clearly got something you need to say, so you should say it.

I don't want this to be a fight.

What do you want me to tell you that I'm happy about it?

That I engineered it, that I deliberately went back to the station to go after a story.

Did I say something?

Maybe I did.

But it wasn't because I wanted to ditch my beautiful wife or spoil another anniversary.

...