Has a ransom note receiver ever told the ransomers to keep the victim?

[Waist of Thyme]

I always wondered what would happen if a ransom note receiver told the ransomers "You can keep them, I don't like them anyway" or "I'll pay you to NOT return them". Does anyone know if it's ever happened? And I don't mean where the note receiver was in on it from the beginning, I mean where the note receiver wasn't in on it and this happens. 

[daveb]

In reality? I don't know.

 

Similar things have been the premise of some fiction. For example, the short story, The Ransom of Red Chief, by O. Henry, an American author from the early 1900s.

[thylacine]

1 hour ago, daveb said:

In reality? I don't know.

 

Similar things have been the premise of some fiction. For example, the short story, The Ransom of Red Chief, by O. Henry, an American author from the early 1900s.

I read the story.  I have a collection of stories by O. Henry - he was an awesome writer.  He wrote comedy - absolutely hysterical.  Some of his characters were stereotypical, so they wouldn't do too well today, but he wrote in the 1900's, so he was a great writer for his day.

[Guest]

A bit of dialogue from TaleSpin episode “A Baloo Switcheroo”:

 

Kit: ”Vulture, this is the Sea Duck. We’ve got Karnage. We’ll trade him for the idol and the girl”.

 

Mad Dog: “To tell ya the truth we’ve grown attached to both of them. Keep Karnage”.

[blunose2772]

Sounds like a joke in a Mel Brooks movie

[GingerRose]

 

 

They did in the film: Life of Crime

But in real life the specificity of this question makes me nervous.

[Guest]

My parents would do that honestly as well as my siblings. 

[Kilyawan]

Ransom failed, I guess? Better luck next time  ; P