Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes The Weyerhaeuser Kidnapping
19 snips
Sep 30, 2026 In 1935 Tacoma, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser vanishes, triggering a nationwide hunt and a $200,000 ransom plot. Investigators decode a strangely meticulous letter, track marked bills through a maze of dead drops, and follow the trail to a teenage accomplice. George’s harrowing account, the kidnappers’ courtroom defenses, and the family’s surprising mercy round out this remarkable case.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
George Disappears During His School Route
- Nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser vanished during his routine lunchtime walk in Tacoma.
- His sister reached the seminary, but George never arrived, prompting his father to call police immediately.
The Ransom Note Revealed Careful Planning
- The ransom letter demanded $200,000 in circulated, unmarked bills and threatened consequences for any mistake.
- Its detailed cash instructions showed the kidnappers understood how investigators could trace currency.
The Lindbergh Kidnapping May Have Inspired Them
- Investigators linked the crime to the FBI because mailing extortion threats was a federal offense.
- The kidnappers' three-year planning claim may have drawn directly from the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping.
