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     The Tony Kiritsis case of 1977 was one of the most highly publicized criminal cases of the last half of the 20th century.

      Interest in the case persists to this day due to the spectacular nature of what he did (kidnapped a mortgage company executive, wired a shotgun around his neck, marched him around the icy streets of Indianapolis, and held him hostage for 63 hours), much of which was broadcast live on radio and television. In early 2022, actor Jon Hamm co-produced the podcast titled “American Hostage” and voiced the role of radio talk show host Fred Heckman, who aired Tony's obscenity-laden rants. Although Hamm's podcast of eight episodes was written up favorably in Variety, GQ, the Indianapolis Star and elsewhere, I blasted it in an Op-Ed piece published in the Star. Six years ago, Alan Berry and Mark Enoch co-produced the award-winning documentary titled “Dead Man's Line: The True Story of Tony Kiritsis.” And, that same year, Richard Hall (Tony's kidnapped hostage) published Kiritsis and Me: Enduring 63 Hours at Gunpoint, with Lisa Hendrickson.

      The short video below, created for the Indianapolis Star, briefly discusses a few aspects of the case. It is but one of the six nationally publicized cases elaborated on in my memoir Courtroom Warrior which, with hope, will be published late this year.