Remember that you and I and other average humans think in terms of a broad scope of publicity being in the context of a huge world that collectively surrounds us.
Some perps simply live within their own protective, comfortable and / or tortured life-bubble and every so often they float that bubble in to the "real world" where innocents are converted in to victims and logic falls floppy dead.
1. Mr. Ramsey:
2. Listen carefully!
3. We are
a group of individuals that represent
a small foreign faction.
4.
We respect your business but
not the country that it serves.
5. At this time we have your daughter in our possession.
6. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.
7. You will withdraw $118,000 from your account.
8. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills.
9. Make sure that you bring (an) adequate size attache to the bank.
10. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag.
11. I will call you between 8 and 10 a.m. tomorrow to instruct you on delivery.
12. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested.
13. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence a earlier pickup of your daughter.
14. Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter.
15. You will also be denied her remains for proper burial.
16.
The two gentlemen watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them.
17. Speaking to anyone about your situation such as police or F.B.I. will result in your daughter being beheaded.
18. If we catch you talking to a stray dog, she dies.
19. If you alert bank authorities, she dies.
20. If the money is in any way marked or tampered with, she dies.
21. You will be scanned for electronic devices and if any are found, she dies.
22. You can try to deceive us, but be warned we are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics.
23. You stand a 99% chance of killing your daughter if you try to outsmart us.
24. Follow our instructions and you stand a 100% chance of getting her back.
25. You and your family are under constant scrutiny as well as the authorities.
26. Don't try to grow a brain, John.
27.
You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing will be difficult.
28. Don't underestimate us, John.
29. Use that good, southern common sense of yours.
30. It is up to you now, John!
31.
Victory!
32.
S.B.T.C.
Cryptic in bold
IOW someone would tend to have follow-on questions, like 'what foreign faction?' why do you respect JR's business? why do you disrespect the US? What does SBTC stand for? Lots of material to fuel a mystery. Designed to be notorious.
I think because of the reference to FBI, beheading a child, and all the cryptic stuff, its possible that this ransom note author was going for notariety. They knew because of JBR's status and the long puzzling, almost challenging ransom note that it would be propelled to a high profile.