Almost 50 years ago, journalists and onlookers watched in terror as Tony Kiritsis paraded mortgage executive Richard O. Hall around Indianapolis, a sawed-off shotgun pressed against his captive’s head.
The haunting scenes from the 1977 hostage standoff became the inspiration for Dead Man’s Wire, the crime drama releasing wide in theaters Friday, January 16. Directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Bill Skarsgård as Kiritsis, the movie offers a dramatized portrayal of the real crisis that unfolded over three days and the key figures who attempted to negotiate Hall’s release.
Here’s everything you need to know about what caused the standoff involving Kiritsis and Hall, and how their lives unfolded after the saga.
Why Did Tony Kiritsis Take Richard Hall Hostage?
Anthony (Tony) G. Kiritsis was, by some accounts, an upstanding citizen who respected the law. He had no prior crimes, was helpful to his neighbors, and had multiple friends in law enforcement, according to Nile Stanton, a defense counsel who represented Kiritsis at his 1977 trial.
That made it all the more shocking when Kiritsis walked into the Indianapolis offices of the Meridian Mortgage Company on February 8, 1977, and took Richard C. Hall (played by Dacre Montgomery) captive.
In 1973, Kiritsis had taken out a $110,000 loan from the company. He used the money to purchase a 17-acre property on the city’s west side, which he hoped to turn into a shopping center, according to Mirror Indy. However, the project failed and Kiritsis, who owed payments on the plot and was facing foreclosure, believed Meridian President M.L. Hall (played by Al Pacino) had sabotaged his plan and instructed potential tenants to not lease with him.
When the elder Hall was not present at the company’s fourth-floor offices in the J.F. Wild Building, Kiritsis requested an audience with his son Richard instead. Once inside Hall’s office, Kiritsis—who entered wearing an arm sling from an alleged injury cleaning his property—threatened the executive with a pistol before assembling a “dead man’s line.”
Kiritsis had a sawed off a .12-gauge shotgun and wired the gun barrel to the back of Hall’s head, which attached to the shotgun trigger—meaning any sudden movement or intervention by officers would prompt a fatal gunshot.
“Sir, this is a dire emergency, a real serious thing. I’ve just taken a prisoner,” Kiritsis said in a phone call to police.
How Long Did Kiritsis Keep Hall Hostage?
Kiritsis led Hall into the building lobby and eventually outside. Kiritsis then forced Hall into the driver’s seat of a police car, instructing the hostage to drive to his Crestwood Village apartment complex. Kiritsis told police he had wired his apartment windows and doors with dynamite, increasing the urgency of the situation.
Once inside his apartment with Hall, Kiritsis held him captive for roughly 63 hours. He repeatedly called local radio station WIBC-AM to speak with broadcaster Fred Heckman (fictionalized as Fred Temple and played by Colman Domingo), who helped negotiate Hall’s release. Heckman played a tape recording from Kiritsis on air, hoping to gain his trust by allowing him to share his side of the story.
Kiritsis demanded an apology, $5 million compensation from Meridian, and the assurance of no state, federal, or civil prosecution, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
Why Did Kiritsis Call Himself a “National Hero”?
Assured his demands had been met, Kiritsis paraded Hall at gunpoint back to the building lobby two days later, on February 10, and held his own version of a news conference for assembled reporters and onlookers. He alternated between anger and tearsduring a profanity-filled monologue, which lasted around 23 minutes and included a list of his grievances.
“I’m the man that was called a kidnapper—I’m a goddamn national hero, and don’t you forget it!” Kiritsis told the crowd assembled. “That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. These people took a goddamn good shot at ruining a goddamn good man’s life. That’s me.”
Kiritsis released Hall soon after the public spectacle—even firing a shot to prove the gun had actually been loaded—and was apprehended by police.
Why Was Kiritsis Found Not Guilty?
Kiritsis was charged in state court with kidnapping Hall, armed robbery, and armed extortion. Although Kiritsis saw himself as a victim of fraud—and not a man with mental illness—he entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at his October 1977 trial at the urging of his lead attorney, John Ruckelshaus.
As part of Indiana state law, the prosecution needed to show that Kiritsis was sane beyond a reasonable doubt. To do this, the central defense argument was that Kiritsis had been locked in a paranoid delusional state and convinced beyond reason Hall and his family were trying to rob him of his land, according to the Dead Man’s Line archive.
The trial included two weeks of testimony and, after deliberating for two and a half days, the jury returned with a surprise verdict of not guilty on October 21. Although Kiritsis avoided a life prison sentence, he was turned over to the State Department of Mental Health for commitment to an institution.
Kiritsis was held in state custody for 11 years, per the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. He spent time at various state hospitals and, at one point, the infirmary of the Indiana State Reformatory for refusing to submit to a psychiatric evaluation. He finally agreed to see a psychiatrist in 1987 and, a year later, was released after the state failed to prove his risk to society.
Kiritsis died at age 72 at his Indianapolis home on January 28, 2005, of apparent complications from diabetes.
What Happened to Richard Hall?
Hall retired in the early 1990s and never saw Kiritsis again after their standoff.
Hall was hesitant to talk about the experience throughout his life. “I don’t think Dick Hall has ever uttered a word about it. He made it clear that he wouldn’t discuss the incident with the press—not then, not ever,” Skip Hess, a former reporter for The Indianapolis News, told Indianapolis Monthly. “It really spooked him. I had a friend tell me that Hall worked for a southside company after all this, and he spent 100 percent of his time staring out the window as though Tony were going to come back and get him.”
Forty years after their infamous run-in, Hall finally opened up and published a 2017 book about his experience titled Kiritsis and Me: Enduring 63 Hours at Gunpoint and spoke about the ordeal with WTHR. “I think it’s probably affected my life more more than I really think. I ... we never know. None of us ever know what’s going to happen, so you just got to really live with it,” he said.
Hall died at age 87 on May 20, 2022, following a brief illness.
Who Plays Tony Koritsis in Dead Man’s Wire?
Playing Kiritsis marked a sharp pivot for Bill Skarsgård, who received the script from director Gus Van Sant on a break following his acclaimed performance as the monstrous Count Orlok in Nosferatu (2024).
The 35-year-old Swedish actor told The Hollywood Reporter he was worried about his fit for the role, as he is much younger and almost a full foot taller than the real Kiritsis. However he couldn’t turn down a character he called “very complex, fun, and dynamic.”
“I studied this guy for 50 hours. I’ve played real guys before—I study the person. I was getting bogged down in that, but Gus was just not really concerned about it. Eventually, I let the real guy go and tried to honor him in spirit,” Skarsgård explained.
How to See Dead Man’s Wire
Dead Man’s Wire premiered in select theaters on January 9 and releases everywhere else on Friday, January 16. The movie stars Skarsgård as Kiritsis, Dacre Montgomery as Richard Hall, and features Colman Domingo and Al Pacino.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
