The Kidnapping of J. Paul Getty III
Morbid
10/20/25
•81m
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Throughout the twentieth century, few names loomed as large in the business and financial worlds as John Paul Getty. Once the richest man in the world, Getty made his fortune in the oil industry and an avid art collector, with a massive collection that served as a basis for the Getty Museum, the wealthiest museum in the world.
Getty’s wealth and business acumen made him a household name well beyond his death in 1976; however, that same wealth and notoriety made him a target for con artists and other criminals. Among those who sought to extort the Getty family, no attempt was more incredible and sensational than the kidnapping of Getty’s favorite grandchild, J. Paul Getty III, by an Italian crime syndicate in 1973.
At first, the scion of the Getty family refused to negotiate with kidnappers, arguing that, if he paid the money, they would only kidnap other members of this family. But Getty reconsidered his position just a few weeks later, when his grandson’s ear arrived in the mail, with the promise of other body parts, should he not comply with their demands.
References
Associated Press. 1973. "Getty kidnapers spurn offer of $430,000 ransom as 'paltry'." Buffalo Nerws (Buffalo, NY), August 3: 2.
—. 1973. "Getty's mother awaits word from kidnapers on ransom." Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY), July 18: 3.
—. 1973. "Grandson of Getty missing." Los Angeles Times, July 13: 9.
—. 1974. "Italy arrests 3, seeks 4th in Getty kidnapping ." New York Times, Janaury 17: 14.
Miller, Julie. 2017. "What All the Money in the World gets right (and wrong) about the Getty kidnapping." Vanity Fair, December 25.
New York Times. 1976. "2 Getty kidnappers sentenced in Italy." New York Times, January 30: 10.
—. 1973. "Roman police report a threat to sever a finger of Getty boy." New York Times, July 20: 2.
Norman, Judith. 2013. "His favorite wife: A memoir looks back on the life of the fifth and final Mrs. Getty." New York Times, September 1: 10.
Pearson, John. 1995. Painfully Rich: J. Paul Getty and His Heirs. London, UK: Macmillan.
Reuters. 1973. "Ransom is offered for Paul Getty, 17, his father reports." New York Times, November 18: 8.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
The Wyrick Family Haunting
October 16, 2025
•61m
When Andy and Lisa Wyrick moved into their new home in Georgia in 1989, the young couple thought they’d lucked out when they finally found a place they could afford. Within a few months, however, Andy and Lisa started noticing strange behavior in their three-year-old daughter, Heidi, and soon after, the Wyricks were forced to face the fact that they might not be alone in the house.
For a decade, the Wyrick family experienced a range of strange and seemingly supernatural phenomenon from the presence of a kindly old man to apparitions of a dark entity, all seemingly focused on their daughter, Heidi. Efforts to stop the haunting provided little relief and in time, the family came to believe they’d attracted something far darker than ghosts.
References
Anderson, Sherry, Michael Ray Brown, and Tom Naughton. 2002. A Hautning in Georgia. Directed by Jeffrey Fine and Tom Naughton. Produced by New Dominion Pictures.
Franklin, Harry. 2002. "Harris County home may be haunted." Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, GA), April 23: 19.
Walsh, Mick. 1994. "Unsolved mystery in Ellerslie is now 'Unsolved Mystery' on NBC."
Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, GA)
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Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next Episode
MiniMORBID x 2: Cryptids of the Midwest
October 23, 2025
•76m
Weirdos! We're bring OG MORBID back! THIS week we're reviving something that many of you have been missing: the illusive MiniMORBID! But fear not! We're going to give you a DOUBLE DOSE of Mini as Ash & Alaina each talk about a different cryptid of the midwest! Get ready for an unhinged episode that had us laughing HYSTERICALLY! And don't forget the hit the comments to let us know what you think of our pitch for November's Bonus Episode!
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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