Case overview
On December 17, 1968, Barbara Jane Mackle, a 20-year-old Emory University student, was abducted from an Atlanta motel room and buried alive in a fiberglass-reinforced box equipped with minimal life support while her kidnappers demanded $500,000 in ransom. She was recovered 83 hours later after FBI agents traced the ransom payment and located her burial site in a wooded area near Duluth, Georgia. The case ended with arrests, a confession, and one of the most unusual ransom schemes in American crime history.
The abduction
Barbara Mackle was staying at the Rodeway Inn in Decatur, Georgia, on the night of December 16, 1968. She had traveled from Emory University with her mother, Jane Mackle, after falling ill with the flu. Her father, Robert Mackle, a wealthy Florida land developer, remained at their home in Coral Gables.
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on December 17, a man identifying himself as Detective George Deacon knocked on the motel room door. He told Jane Mackle that her daughter’s boyfriend had been in a serious car accident and needed to speak with Barbara. When Jane opened the door, a man later identified as Gary Steven Krist forced his way inside at gunpoint, accompanied by Ruth Eisemann-Schier.
Krist restrained both women and covered their heads. He told Jane this was a kidnapping and that her daughter would be returned unharmed once ransom was paid. He forced Barbara into a vehicle and drove away, leaving her mother bound in the motel room. Jane freed herself within minutes and contacted authorities.
The ransom demand
Robert Mackle received a ransom note that morning demanding $500,000 in $20 bills. The note included detailed delivery instructions and warned that Barbara had been placed in a buried capsule with limited air, food, and water. The kidnappers claimed she had enough supplies to survive for seven days but that any delay could be fatal.
The note described the capsule as a ventilated fiberglass box buried underground. It contained two plastic tubes for air circulation, a battery-powered lamp, water, and sedatives. Barbara later confirmed she had been driven to a remote wooded area, forced into the box, and buried beneath approximately 18 inches of soil while still conscious.
FBI agents began working with the Mackle family to coordinate the ransom drop. The case drew national media attention due to the method of captivity and the ticking timeline. Investigators treated it as a live abduction with an urgent recovery window.
Ransom delivery and the map
On December 19, Robert Mackle followed the kidnappers’ instructions and delivered the ransom to a designated location on a dirt road near Atlanta. FBI agents tracked the vehicle used to collect the money and obtained evidence linking the crime to Gary Steven Krist and Ruth Eisemann-Schier.
Krist had prior convictions for theft and escape from custody. He had a documented history of elaborate schemes and had briefly studied medicine before dropping out. Eisemann-Schier, a graduate student originally from Honduras, had met Krist in Florida and became involved in the kidnapping plot.
Investigators recovered a second ransom note that included a hand-drawn map with coordinates indicating where Barbara had been buried. The map directed authorities to a wooded area in Gwinnett County, approximately 20 miles northeast of Atlanta. FBI agents and local law enforcement mobilized immediately.
The recovery
On December 20, 1968, at approximately 6:00 p.m., FBI agents located the burial site using the coordinates from the ransom note. They found two white PVC pipes protruding slightly above ground, matching the description of ventilation tubes from the original demand letter.
Agents began digging and uncovered a fiberglass capsule measuring approximately three feet wide, three feet high, and seven feet long. Barbara Mackle was found inside, alive but severely dehydrated and disoriented. She had been buried for 83 hours in near-freezing temperatures with limited movement and declining air quality.
She was transported to a nearby hospital and treated for dehydration, shock, and minor injuries. She provided investigators with detailed descriptions of her captors and confirmed the sequence of events from abduction to burial. Her testimony became central to the prosecution.
Arrests and prosecution
Gary Steven Krist was arrested on December 22, 1968, in Florida after a brief manhunt. He had been spotted in a stolen vehicle and was apprehended following a pursuit. Authorities recovered a portion of the ransom money in his possession. Krist initially denied involvement but later confessed to planning and executing the kidnapping.
Ruth Eisemann-Schier evaded capture for several months. The FBI placed her on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, making her the first woman to appear on it. She was arrested on March 5, 1969, in Norman, Oklahoma, where she had been living under an assumed name and working at a hospital.
Krist was tried in Georgia and convicted of kidnapping in May 1969. He was sentenced to life in prison but became eligible for parole under Georgia law at the time. He served a decade in custody before being released in 1979. Following his release, he completed medical school and later faced additional legal trouble related to drug trafficking and fraud.
Eisemann-Schier pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. She served four years before being released and deported to Honduras in 1973. She did not face additional charges after deportation.
Investigation methods and evidence
The kidnapping of Barbara Mackle became a significant case study for the FBI due to the coordination required between federal and local agencies and the use of ransom tracing techniques. Investigators used handwriting analysis, forensic examination of the burial capsule, and witness statements to build the case against Krist and Eisemann-Schier.
The capsule itself became key evidence. It had been constructed with ventilation, minimal bedding, and a small battery-operated light. Forensic teams analyzed soil samples, fingerprints, and materials used in the construction to tie both defendants to the crime.
Barbara Mackle cooperated fully with investigators and later wrote a book detailing her experience. Her account provided a firsthand record of the abduction, captivity, and recovery. The case influenced discussions about kidnapping laws, ransom negotiations, and victim recovery protocols in federal law enforcement.
Aftermath
Barbara Mackle recovered physically from the ordeal and went on to live a private life. She married and remained largely out of the public eye following the trial. Her family did not recover the full ransom amount, though a portion of the money was retrieved during Krist’s arrest.
Gary Steven Krist’s post-release activities drew renewed attention in later years. Despite completing medical training and working briefly in the field, he was arrested again in 2006 for offenses involving cocaine importation. He was sentenced to federal prison and remains incarcerated according to the most recent public records.
The case remains one of the most unusual kidnappings in American criminal history due to the live burial method and the detailed planning involved. It demonstrated both the risks of high-profile abductions and the importance of coordinated law enforcement response in cases involving ransom demands and time-sensitive victim recovery.
Where to look next
- Book: “83 Hours Till Dawn” by Barbara Jane Mackle and Gene Miller
- Documentary: “The FBI Files: Buried Alive” (Discovery Channel)
- Podcast: “Casefile True Crime”
