From the chilling 1874 case that coined 'don't take candy from strangers' to Patty Hearst's transformation from heiress to bank robber, journey through true tales of kidnapping where victims outsmarted their captors, others never escaped, and some didn't want to. These are the abduction stories you've never heard—told by the survivors themselves and featuring cases of Stockholm Syndrome that challenge everything we think we know about survival.

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey

IN THIS EPISODE: “Don’t take candy from strangers” - that warning stemmed from a real kidnapping in 1874, made even more history-making by being the first kidnapping in U.S. history to demand money for the child’s safe return. (The First U.S. Kidnapping For Ransom) *** I’ll share true kidnapping stories told by the victims – stories you’ve never heard, because none of them made the evening news. (True Stories of Abduction) *** In some kidnapping cases, the victim outsmarts their abductor. We’ll look at a few quick-thinking abductees whose out-of-the-box thinking and determination to survive helped them to escape their captors. (They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers) *** In some cases of kidnapping, the victims have an opportunity to escape – but don’t. They even try to help those who abducted them in the first place. In many cases this indicates the victim is suffering from a terrifying type of brainwashing we’ve come to know as Stockholm Syndrome – and we’ll look at a few famous cases of it. (True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome) *** A beautiful California co-ed was kidnapped in 1974 - and two months later, she burst into a bank with a machine gun. We’ll look at how Stockholm Syndrome changed 19-year-old wealthy heiress Patty Hearst into a cold-blooded bank robber. (The Brainwashing of Patty Hearst)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = “The Kidnap” short story
00:03:31.725 = Show Intro
00:05:45.230 = First Kidnapping For Ransom
00:16:40.781 = True Stories of Abduction
00:39:23.473 = They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers
00:48:30.096 = True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome
01:04:14.878 = Brainwashing of Patty Hearst
01:19:59.744 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The First U.S. Kidnapping For Ransom” by Amanda Sedlak-Hevener for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y2v2q93v
“True Stories of Abduction” by Amanda Sedlak-Hevener for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/yxgg53ez
“True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome” by Jonathan Sherman for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y5m33n4c
“The Brainwashing of Patty Hearst” by Genevieve Carlton for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y4d6kqhz
“They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers” by Cristina Sanza for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/yxodhtot
The fictional short story I began the podcast with, “The Kidnap” is by Rajesh K.: https://tinyurl.com/yxn6xnpr
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: September 22, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/kidnappings
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#TrueCrime #StockholmSyndrome #PattyHearst #KidnappingSurvivors #TrueCrimePodcast