Richard Hall

Professional Trajectory

Richard O. Hall (1935/36 — May 20, 2022) was an Indianapolis mortgage broker and president of Meridian Mortgage Company who was famously taken hostage for 63 hours on February 8, 1977, by Tony Kiritsis. Kiritsis wired a sawed-off shotgun to Hall’s neck over a disputed loan, creating a dramatic, televised standoff. Hall survived, later struggling with alcoholism following the ordeal. The event was adapted into Gus Van Sant's 2025 film Dead Man's Wire, with Dacre Montgomery as Hall.