Abduction cases have been prominent in history since time immemorial. The plans were often executed for ransom or for a personal tussle between the kidnapper and the abductees. Some of these cases of bizarre kidnappings and the motive behind them are most likely to blow your mind. To know about the 10 abduction cases, take a look at the list below.

1 Kyoko Chan Cox

Kyoko Chan Cox, the daughter of Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife, was kidnapped by her own father and Yoko’s ex-husband, Anthony Cox. Yoko won custody of Kyoko after the divorce, which resulted in Anthony Cox’s kidnapping his daughter in 1971 and fleeing to join a cult.

Before meeting Lennon, the famous artist, Yoko Ono was married to the famous filmmaker/producer, Anthony Cox. However, the marriage fell apart and eventually ended up in a divorce in 1969. Yoko Ono won custody of their daughter, Kyoko Chan.

On Christmas Eve of 1971, Anthony Cox disappeared with his eight-year-old daughter, Kyoko. Ono and her husband John Lennon, searched for Kyoko, while Anthony Cox and his daughter joined a cult or a religious group called, “The Walk” and remained in hiding for 14 years. In other words, he vanished with his daughter in violation of custody.

In 1980, Kyoko sent a condolence letter to Yoko Ono when John Lennon was killed in 1980. When Cox resurfaced in 1986, Kyoko conveyed an open letter to Kyoko stating that she would no longer look for her. However, when Kyoko was 37, she arranged a reunion with her mother. (1, 2)

2 Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen

The spouse of one of Norway’s richest men, Tom Hagen, was abducted in October 2018. Several pieces of evidence indicated that it was a case of kidnapping for ransom demands. The clues, however, were believed to be misleading, and the police suspected murder.

The abduction of Anne Hagen, the wife of a Norwegian tycoon, Tom Hagen, is one of the most infamous abduction cases in history. She was 68 when she suddenly vanished from her house in suburban Oslo.

Upon investigation, the Norway police found a shoe print, a plastic strip, bloodstains, and Mrs. Hagen’s cellphone. Her pet puppy was locked in the bathroom, and on the bed lay a poorly but detailed ransom letter asking for $9.5 million to be paid in a cryptocurrency called to a person called  “Monero.” All of the evidence pointed towards a ransom abduction case.

However, after a few months, it was believed that the clues were meant to mislead the investigators and that Mrs. Hagen might have been murdered since there was a lack of any more evidence of ransom abduction. Her husband, Tom Hagen, 70, was the prime suspect, but without the body of the deceased, the murder weapon, and clear motive, the police were forced to release him. (1, 2)

3 James Patrick Bulger

A two-year-old infant, James Bulger, a resident of Merseyside, England, was abducted and tortured to death by two ten-year-olds, Robert Thompson and John Venables, on 12 February 1993. This is one of the most infamous cases of child abuse by young convicts.

On 12 February 1993, a two-year-old toddler, James Bulger has led away from a shopping center in Bootle when his mother took her eyes off him momentarily. The moment was caught in the CCTV where it was seen that two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, were taking James away.

This brutal murder left the country in a state of frenzy. James was taken to the Liverpool and Leeds canal and was tortured mercilessly, stamped on, and even assaulted. Although the convicted boys denied sexually assaulting James, some evidence indicates that he was physically assaulted.

The ten-year-old boys were convicted on 24 November 1993 and were sentenced to detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure until they were released in 2001 when aged 18 with lifelong probation. However, Venables was sent to prison again in 2010 for possessing child abuse images on his computer. (1, 2)

4 Patty Hearst

Patricia Campbell Hearst, an author and actress, was abducted from her Berkeley apartment on February 4, 1974, when she was only 19. She was kidnapped by an urban, left-wing guerilla group called the SLA for opportunistic motives. However, upon being rescued, Hearst stated that she wanted to stay with the SLA and fight for their cause. She helped them in several operations including robbing a bank.

The 19-year-old, who belonged to a powerful family, was abducted by an urban guerilla, a left-wing group called the “Symbionese Liberation Army” (SLA) with an opportunist motive. Her Berkeley apartment, from where she was kidnapped, happened to be close to the SLA headquarters. The main motive behind the abduction was to free two members of SLA using Hearst’s family’s political influence.

When the prime objective to free the men failed, the SLA demanded the captive’s family to feed the needy Californians food worth  $400 million. But the operation ended in chaos and SLA refused to release Patty.

Later on, Hearst decided to stay with the SLA and contribute to their operations. Finally, her blindfold was removed and Patty was granted membership in the SLA. Medical experts believe that it might have been a result of Stockholm syndrome. (1, 2)

5 Elizabeth Ann Smart

A 14-year-old girl and an inhabitant of Salt Lake City in Utah, United States, was kidnapped on June 5th, 2002 at knifepoint and was raped several times by Brian Mitchell, who claimed to be a religious preacher.

Elizabeth, 14, was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. The captivity lasted for nine months until she was rescued from Sandy, Utah which was 18 miles away from her home.

She was kidnapped at knifepoint while her younger sister, Mary, pretended to be asleep. The convict, Brian David Mitchell, who, according to Mary was a soft-spoken person, threatened her sister into accompanying him to the woods with his wife, Wanda Barzee, where he raped her several times.

Mitchell claimed to be a religious preacher and a social worker. After Elizabeth was rescued, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Mitchell was sentenced to life imprisonment after being diagnosed with several social and mental disorders. (1, 2)