She was having what she thought would be a normal Saturday. That is, until she found the letter that would turn her world upside down. At 12:42pm on November 8, 2013, a note was found indicating that a special card of belated birthday wishes was captured and being held for ransom by a local bullying ring who identified themselves as the United States Postal Service.
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| Photograph of the ransom note left by bullying ring. |
An officer assigned to the case believes the item was targeted due to an unusual shape or size. "We've seen this before," he reports. "Items of a certain uniqueness held for personal gain. What exactly appealed to the captors, however, is hard to say at this time."
Although the birthday greetings were relinquished into the custody of its intended recipient after the $0.20 ransom was paid on November 13, a witness described the event as "eye-opening."
"We get so caught up in the ins and outs of our daily lives. That we could be so blind to these tragedies is nothing short of unsettling."
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| Card held captive for four days pending ransom |
This story may have had a happy ending, but others may not be so lucky. This is one birthday that almost wasn't happy.
