The Rothschild kidnapping of 1968 was a high-profile case that received extensive media coverage at the time. Here are some key dates and events in the news cycle of the kidnapping:
March 4, 1968: The 26-year-old French socialite Marie-Hélène de Rothschild is kidnapped from her apartment in Paris by a gang of criminals.
March 5, 1968: The kidnappers demand a ransom of 60 million francs (about $14 million at the time) from the Rothschild family in exchange for Marie-Hélène’s release.
March 6, 1968: The French police launch a massive manhunt for the kidnappers and offer a reward of 10 million francs for information leading to their capture.
March 10, 1968: The Rothschild family agrees to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
March 12, 1968: The ransom is delivered to the kidnappers in a cemetery on the outskirts of Paris. Marie-Hélène is released unharmed later that day.
March 13, 1968: The French police arrest six suspects in connection with the kidnapping.
March 15, 1968: The six suspects are formally charged with kidnapping and extortion.
March 18, 1968: The six suspects appear in court for the first time.
June 25, 1968: The trial of the six suspects begins in Paris.
July 11, 1968: The six suspects are found guilty of kidnapping and extortion and are sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to fifteen years.
September 5, 1968: The six suspects appeal their convictions.
December 18, 1968: The appeals court upholds the convictions and sentences of the six suspects.