American hostage news
The gist
MGM+'s eight-episode thriller "American Hostage" premiered Sunday, Sept. 20, with Jon Hamm.
It dramatizes a 1977 Indianapolis kidnapping that gripped TV audiences for 63 hours.
How it unfolded
- Feb 8, 1977Tony Kiritsis, a 44-year-old real estate developer facing foreclosure, took Meridian Mortgage Company president Dick Hall hostage in Indianapolis, wiring a sawed-off shotgun to Hall's neck with a "deadman's switch" and marching him through downtown streets.
- Feb 10, 1977After nearly 63 hours, Kiritsis was assured his demands had been met; he delivered a 23-minute speech carried live by Indianapolis television stations, released Hall unharmed and was taken into police custody.
- Oct 21, 1977Kiritsis went on trial on charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and armed extortion and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.