Vi Ripken, 74, was kidnapped on the morning of 24 July (12) outside her home near Baltimore, Maryland. Her abductor forced her into her car and drove off. She was found behind the wheel early the following day in nearby Aberdeen.
FBI agents and Maryland State Police investigators launched a search for the mystery man, who is described as a tall, thin white man with glasses, but there have been no firm clues as to his whereabouts, and authorities still have no clue as to what the kidnapper’s motive was.
Now Ripken, Jr. has spoken out about the drama in a bid to help police find the suspect and put his mother’s mind at ease.
During a live appearance on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America on Friday (03Aug12), the retired sportsman revealed Vi is doing “as well as can be expected” and thanked fans for their support, before appealing to viewers for any information about the incident.
He said, “Law enforcement needs your help and so by going on TV hopefully somebody will know something about the case or somebody will see the suspect and offer a tip or a clue to the police department.”
The kidnapper never demanded a ransom and Ripken, Jr. believes he had no idea his victim was the mother of a Hall of Fame legend: “We don’t know for sure. It was a premeditated act… all indications are there was no real reference to mum or the name, so we’re not sure about that, it could be anything. That’s the bizarre nature of the case – it could be a random act or it could be one that was much deeper than that.”
