Dale Thornhill is a farm owner who was trying to sell his property. His house on three acres was almost completely dilapidated. There was no water or electricity, the house was covered with trash, and only one stove provided heat. Despite its unlivable conditions Ronny Aldridge, the founder of a troubled youth organization, wanted to buy it without any remodeling in his budget to send some kids to live there for rehab.
Because Dale gave a deadline for 200 grand, Aldridge kidnapped Blair Carlson, the mistress of entrepreneur Peter Gardner, who was uninterested in giving a donation, for that very ransom with the assistance of one of the kids, Carlos. Gardner didn't believe it was real, and Carlson escaped and was killed by an oncoming truck. When investigating the organization, Dale brought the detectives onto his property, revealing the motive. When Aldridge was taken to trial, the squad brought the kids to land to get them to turn on him once they saw his lies. Aldridge thus had no alibi, but he was still acquitted just to weakly spite Gardner. (L&O: "Bailout")