Day/date: April 11, 1988
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
FIELD INCIDENT REPORT
Incident type: Search for Kidnapper
Log number: 88-52
Date/time of incident: 4/3 Date/time received: 4/11, am
Park: Shenandoah Location: Old Hollow
Reported by: Kathy Jope, RAD, MARO
Received by: Bill Halainen, RAD, WASO
Summary:
On April 2nd, C.L. kidnapped his former common-law wife and their 4-
year-old child from her apartment in New Haven, Connecticut. C.L. was known
to be in possession of a 9 mm carbine, two clips and a box of ammunition.
Warrants were issued by both state and Federal authorities for kidnapping
and interstate flight. On April 3rd, C.L.'s vehicle was found abandoned in
Old Hollow, a mile and a half from the eastern boundary of Shenandoah.
Because the vehicle's identification number had been removed, the vehicle
proved difficult to trace. The FBI was notified on April 5th, and their
interviews with local residents led agents to believe that C.L. was still in
the area. On the evening of April 6th, a grocery store at the east end of
the hollow was broken into, and a number of items were stolen, including
food, beer and cigarettes of the brand that Leaf smokes. The FBI then
called in the NPS for assistance. Rangers set up an incident command system
with commanders from the NPS, FBI and Virginia State Police. The searchers
brought in two aircraft with infra-red capabilities - the Park Police's
"Eagle I" helicopter and the FBI's fixed-wing "Night Stalker" - to survey
the area, but bad weather terminated their search during the evening.
Rangers and state police set up checkpoints on roads, trails and other
travel routes in the area. At dawn on April 7th, the FBI hostage rescue
team from Ouantico and the Virginia State Police SWAT team used search dogs
to sweep and clear every building in the hollow and all high-probability
search areas. Tracking dogs were also used to follow some tracks. As of
late Thursday, the search was still in progress and indications are that
C.L. and his two victims are still in the area.
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
FIELD INCIDENT REPORT
Incident type: Search, for Kidnapper
Log number: 88-52 - Follow-up
Date/time of incident: 4/9 Date/time received: 4/11, 7 am
Park: Shenandoah Location: Outside of park
Reported by: Kathy Jope, RAD, MARO
Received by: Bill Halainen, RAD, WASO
Summary:
Over the weekend, park rangers, FBI agents and Virginia State Police
officers were involved in an intensive search for C.L., a fugitive
from Connecticut who was wanted for kidnapping and was thought to be in the
park.
On Saturday evening, FBI agents found C.L. and his two hostages - his ex-
common law wife and their three-year-old son - in a farmhouse in
Sperryville, just outside the park. C.L. threatened to kill both hostages,
and asked for a helicopter to take all three out of the area. When
attempting to board the helicopter Sunday afternoon, an FBI marksman shot
and killed him. C.L. had a history of assault and kidnapping and was out on
bond from a correctional center in Connecticut.
Park rangers were not involved in the aspects of the incident which took
place outside the park.
Persons involved:
Name Address DOB or age
*** As noted before ***
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
FIELD INCIDENT REPORT
Incident type: Airplane Accident; Multiple Fatalities
Log number: 88-53
Date/time of incident: 4/3, pm Date/time received: 4/11, 1030 am
Park: Cumberland Gap Location: Ridge Trail, 4 mi. E of The Pinnacle
Reported by: Steve Smith, RAD, SERO
Received by: Bill Halainen, RAD, WASO
Summary:
On the morning of April 3rd, the C. family - J.C. and his wife, their
daughter, her friend, C.'s parents and a nine-month-old child of a friend
of the family - flew out of Boca Raton, Florida, and headed for their home
in Ridgefield, Indiana. On April 5th, C.'s sister called FAA and reported
that they had not yet returned. On the 7th, FAA began reviewing radar
tapes, and found that radar contact with C.'s single-engined Piper Saratoga
had been lost over Harrogate, Tennessee. Later that day, Civilian Air
Patrol (CAP) representatives advised the park that an air search would be
begun as soon as the weather cleared. CAP aircraft went up at noon on the
8th and spotted the wreckage of the plane along Ridge Trail about an hour
and a half later. Two rangers hiked to the scene of the accident and
confirmed that it was the plane being sought and that all had been killed.
They stayed overnight at the scene. The Kentucky state medical officer
arrive on the 9th, and the bodies were helicoptered out later that day. The
FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Persons involved:
Name Address DOB or age
J.C. Ridgefield, Indiana 44
Wife (name not given) Ridgefield, Indiana --
W.C. (father) Ridgefield, Indiana --
A.C. (mother) Ridgefield, Indiana --
A.C. (daughter) Ridgefield, Indiana 13
C.N. (friend) Ridgefield, Indiana --
D.H. (child of family friend) Ridgefield, Indiana 9 mo.