Age progression compositing (or forensic composting) is the process of taking a photo of a child and creating a composite image of what they might look like years later. It has been used to great success in the recovery of kidnap victims, and most recently in the case of Jaycee Dugard.
posted by blue_beetle on Oct 16, 2009 - 19 comments

"The whole country must ask itself just what is really, fundamentally going wrong." An Austrian pensioner has admitted holding his daughter captive in a basement for 24 years, during which time he fathered seven children with her. [more inside]
posted by essexjan on Apr 28, 2008 - 133 comments

US has right to kidnap any defendant, anywhere, anytime, says it's UK lawyer. Until now it was commonly assumed that US law permitted kidnapping only in the “extraordinary rendition” of terrorist suspects. The American government has for the first time made it clear in a British court that the law applies to anyone, British or otherwise, suspected of a crime by Washington. [more inside]
posted by dash_slot- on Dec 1, 2007 - 75 comments

Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt. It's current, it's for real, and each paragraph is weirder than the last.
posted by NortonDC on Feb 5, 2007 - 206 comments

In 1992, Maureen Dabbagh's ex-husband kidnapped their daughter and fled to Syria. Now Maureen was about to step into a universe she had no idea existed: the covert world of the "snatchback industry." She would go on to become a snatchback agent herself, to help other "left behinds."

Also, How to kidnap your children and get away with it.
posted by Terminal Verbosity on Sep 3, 2006 - 18 comments

CSMonitor's Jill Carroll update As there isn't really much news about Jill Carroll, this blog has become mainly about the issues surrounding the Carroll abduction. What is Islam's perspective on foreigners? How does rampant kidnapping effect journalists? The last 'update' is about a poster of Carroll hung from Rome's city hall. Which makes me think two things: there isn't much news about Carroll's situation; why in the hell hasn't a US city hung a poster of Carroll?
posted by raaka on Feb 6, 2006 - 7 comments

The kidnap videos in Iraq are suspicious. Some say they are fake. Some make their own... what do you think of this one? A rare bit of humor from Al-Jazeera. [.wmv]
posted by pemulis on Jul 12, 2004 - 11 comments

Aristide Says He Was Kidnapped From Democracy Now: Aristide says he was "kidnapped" and taken by force to the Central African Republic. Congressmember Maxine Waters said she received a call from Aristide at 9am EST. "He's surrounded by military. It's like he is in jail, he said. He says he was kidnapped," said Waters. "He did not resign.... He was abducted by the United States in the commission of a coup." Robinson says he spoke to Aristide on a cell phone that was smuggled to the Haitian president. Will this revolution be televised? (Accounts in ogg and mp3)
posted by ao4047 on Mar 1, 2004 - 105 comments

This seven-year-old girl escaped from her kidnappers and was helped by 2 young boys. Yesterday in Texas, a 13-year-old boy put his hand through a car window trying to stop an abduction. These teens stabbed their abductor with a bowie knife while trying to escape. Is the culture of violence that spawns school shooters also making kids into heroes?
posted by putzface_dickman on Aug 15, 2002 - 25 comments

Sony's latest ad campaign has been pulled from the networks for being too edgy. It's certainly got an edge that I doubt children would understand, but they're still pretty funny (part 2 and part 3). Is this what happens when we have to protect everyone from anything remotely racy? Do you agree with the decision to pull them off the air?
posted by mathowie on Dec 5, 2000 - 35 comments

Something just a bit different in a kidnapping: the victim suffers from polydactyly. If someone you know has suddenly come up with a newborn baby with one extra finger on each hand, let the FBI know. (No joke.)
posted by Steven Den Beste on Nov 23, 2000 - 7 comments