In 1978, body snatchers held Charlie Chaplin’s dead body hostage, demanding $600,000 for its safe (?) return. Chaplin had only died a few months before. Police eventually pinned the crime on Roman Wardas and Gantscho Ganev who had reburied the body in a corn field.
According to Chaplin’s son Eugene, “the wife of the nicer (thief) wrote and said ‘We’re so sorry’. My mother wrote back and said: ‘Look, all is forgiven.'”
(via Smithsonian)