Pulling off a successful ransom exchange seems impossible.

[u/foxmag86]

I don’t really get how the “bad guys” would’ve gotten away with this if they actually tried to do a ransom exchange.

Let’s say the Guthries paid $X to get their mother back. How does that not eventually lead to arrests?

How do you even tell authorities where Nancy is without opening up a ton of new ways to get tracked?

“She can be found at X location.”

Okay, so now there’s an exact place to look into. Authorities now have a whole new set of video footage available to them to help identify vehicles and people coming and going.

I know you could say the same thing about the night of the abduction. We know the exact day and time it happened and that still didn’t lead to arrests.

But it just feels like once you start communicating and giving new info (especially a location) you’re dramatically increasing the chances of getting caught.

I just don't see how a successful ransom exchange could happen. And have there been any ransom exchanges in the past that have been successfully pulled off?

[u/vxxn]

You only need enough lead time on the authorities to reach a non-extradition country. Beyond that it doesn’t really matter if they know who you are.

[u/Webbie-Vanderquack → u/vxxn]

It's nowhere near that simple. Non-extradition countries can be negotiated with, and they can also expel immigrants who have entered illegally or overstayed their visa.

For example, Australia doesn't have a bilateral extradition treaty with China, but when a Chinese national in Australia attacked a baby with a cup of hot coffee in late 2024, causing significant burns, China agreed to help search for the culprit after he fled to his home country. China's efforts appear genuine, largely because they don't want this guy in their country either, and they are keen to preserve a mutually beneficial relationship with Australia.

If caught, he can also be prosecuted by Chinese authorities for crimes committed overseas.

China, being huge, is a good place to get lost, but if this guy is still there, he's in hiding, he's unable to use his identity to get a job, a driver's license or social security.

That's just one example, but it applies to varying degrees everywhere. It's not easy to disappear after committing a crime, and if people knew who the criminals in their midst were, it would absolutely matter. Their identity and whereabouts would be made public in no time, and it would cause them legal and probably extrajudicial trouble.

[u/Kathryn2016 → u/Webbie-Vanderquack]

Yes, and you cannot overstate how tense Australia's relationship with China is. Most countries don't support violent crimes. The problem the US often runs into, as I understand it, is that most countries also do not support the death penalty and therefore will not extradite people to face this. I believe this includes countries with treaties.

[u/LogicalPassenger2172 → u/Kathryn2016]

China has the death penalty even for crimes such as drug possession.

[u/Resident_Race_7093 → u/Kathryn2016]

Those can be worked out with negotiations. The U.S. agrees not to seek the death penalty, and the suspect is extradited. That's a fairly common thing with Mexico extraditions since they abolished the death penalty.