In December 1968, 20-year-old college student and heiress Barbara Jane Mackle was kidnapped from an Atlanta motel by Gary Steven Krist and Ruth Eisemann-Schier. Krist and Eisemann-Schier, posing as law enforcement officers, abducted Mackle and buried her alive in a ventilated fiberglass box in a remote area of Georgia. The kidnappers demanded a $500,000 ransom from Mackle's wealthy father, which was eventually paid.

After more than three days underground, Mackle was rescued by the FBI, suffering from dehydration but otherwise unharmed. Krist was captured, sentenced to life in prison, but was released on parole after ten years. Eisemann-Schier was arrested months later, served four years in prison, and was deported to her native Honduras. Despite the traumatic experience, Mackle went on to live a relatively private life, marrying and becoming a mother.

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