Stone Affair

Ellen Stone was an American protestant missionary in Bansko. She was kidnapped by IMORO who planned an ambush on one of her travels. The leaders of the organization looked for many ways to find funding for their missions so they demanded a ransom for her release. The Stone affair was completed successfully and Ellen was released. This was the first time in which America paid for a ransom! Ellen was so inspired by Yane Sandanski who was part of the organization and his mission for liberation, that she started to defend the Bulgarian mission after she was set free. In fact, she became the first documented case of Stockholm Syndrome in history.