The Harrowing Tale of Chuck Geschke’s 1992 Kidnapping

The obituaries for Adobe cofounder Chuck Geschke all mention his 1992 kidnapping, but they make it seem like it wasn’t all that serious. It was, in fact, crazy serious. This 4-part 2009 series for The Los Altos Town Crier, by Anne Chappell Belden, has the details:

“Do you work here?” the man asked.

“Yes, can I help you?” Chuck asked and instinctively moved toward him. The man pulled his map aside and revealed a gun. “You’re coming with me,” the man said. By then Chuck was within arms reach so he did not protest when the man grabbed his arm and directed him into the car. He would later replay this moment dozens of times, questioning his decision to obey.

With the gun jammed against Chuck’s ribs, the man said, “You’re being kidnapped. I want you to keep your eyes down.” He took two duct tape cut-outs and placed them over Chuck’s eyes. He covered those with a pair of sunglasses, so no one could see from outside that Chuck was blindfolded. As the car pulled away, his abductor told Chuck, “If you attempt to do anything, like get away from us, we’ll kill you. We know where your family is. We’ll kill them, too.”

Links to parts two, three, and four.

★ Wednesday, 21 April 2021