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Mark and Renee Ziegler along with their then-17-year-old son were kidnapped in 2015 by two men and taken to the bank where Mark worked in order to allow the men to gain access to the vault. Their story will be recounted on tonight’s two-hour episode of Dateline NBC.
The family was one of the victims of bank robbers and kidnappers Michael Benanti and Brian Witham who went on a multi-state spree in 2015. They targeted people who worked at banks and then would force them to open the vaults, remove the money and hand it over. Many of the crimes, including that of the Ziegler’s, were first investigated as inside jobs.
The episode of Dateline, which is titled “A Villainous Plan” airs tonight, Friday, April 10 at 8 p.m. on NBC. It features interviews with other victims of the kidnappers including Matthew and Valerie Yussman and investigators like Sergeant David Mocarsky and former Police Chief Jim Wardwell.
Here’s what you should know about Mark and Renee Ziegler:
1. Mark Ziegler Is the President and CEO of a Federal Credit Union
Mark Ziegler was the CEO of Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Knoxville at the time of the kidnapping and robbery.
According to True Crime Daily, the surveillance from the day of the kidnapping and robbery shows Ziegler moving frantically around and cleaning out vaults. Investigators say he was told they had people watching his family and they’d have them killed if he did not get them their money.
“(Benanti) told us Mark had 12 minutes from the time he went in the bank,” Ziegler testified. “Every minute he was late, they would cut off my finger and if he didn’t comply, they would kill our (adult) daughter. They knew where she lived.”
The kidnappings were happening in other cities at the time as well, including at a credit union in Connecticut. The fact that the cases were so similar brought in FBI investigators.
2. They Were the First Victims of the Kidnappers
According to Oakridge Today, the Zieglers were the first kidnapping and attempted robbery victims of Witham and Benanti.
Later, the partners-in-crime would go on to pull off their scheme a few more times, ending up only getting away with around $150,000 before their ultimate arrest.
Matthew Yussman, a later victim of the men, was accused of robbing the bank where he worked. The case went so far as to have Yussman brought in front of a grand jury where they laid out the case for him to be indicted.
The FBI was brought in and found the connection between all the cases.
“We don’t see crime sprees like this very often,” retired FBI agent Bobby Chacon told Crime Watch Daily about the cases.
3. Ziegler Went Back to Work Two Days After the Kidnapping
According to CU Today, Ziegler went back to work and reopened the credit union just two days after the kidnapping. Authorities reported at the time that they were looking for three suspects in the kidnapping who were being accused of bank robbery, kidnapping, and extortion.
The FBI said that the family was first confronted in their home at around 8:15 in the morning and were released over an hour later.
They later released a warning to all bank and credit union employees in the market to follow security measures and be sure to take extra precautions during the workweek.
4. The Family Was Saved After a Neighbor Called 911
He didn’t know two men were watching him… #Dateline Friday at 9/8c.
The family was rescued by a neighbor who heard shouts coming from a van, according to WVLT Knoxville.
“So, I thought maybe they were just turning around and then a young man jumped out of the driver’s seat and started screaming ‘please call 911. We’ve been abducted’,” said Tonia Killian. “And then, there was an older lady that got out of the back seat and she still had duck tape around her arms. She tried to start explaining who she was, who her husband was, and that this was not fake. This was real.”
The family was then dropped in the Gettsyvue neighborhood, where they were left, unharmed and later picked up by the police.
For each of their robberies and kidnappings, Michael Benanti and Brian Witham found their victims via banking websites and then used social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to learn about them and their families. They hid cameras in bushes and shrubs; Benanti even hid out in the backyard of families’ homes for hours to figure out their schedules according to Witham.
5. Michael Benanti and Brian Witham Were Sentenced to Prison Time
He was told to rob his own credit union. If he failed, the consequences would be devastating… #Dateline tonight 9/8c with @Dateline_Dennis.
According to Knox News, Michael Benanti was the mastermind behind the crimes, and his crime partner Witham turned on him after the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to cap his punishment at 42 years with the chance to shave off more time.
Witham and Benanti met in prison in 1994 when they were both serving time in federal prison for violent crimes. Benanti was freed in 2008, and Witham was freed in 2013. At that time, they met up and became partners-in-crime.
Now, Benanti has been sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for each of the four kidnappings and another 155 years for using guns to carry out his reign of terror according to USA Today. Witham was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
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