San Jose Mercury News
December 4, 1969 - p. 2

Singer's
Kidnapper
Surrenders

    HOLLYWOOD (UPI) — An apartment caretaker surrendered in Las Vegas Wednesday in the kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Birdsong, 29, a member of the soul-singing group "The Supremes."
    Detectives Capt. Paul Gullas said Charles Collier, 28, a caretaker at Miss Birdsong's Hollywood apartment building, called police who found him sitting in the lobby of a "strip" motel, "with his head in his hands."
    Miss Birdsong told Hollywood detectives a "sloppy, barefoot" man seized her when she entered the bedroom of her apartment Tuesday night.
    She said he put a knife to her throat, forced her into the living room and ordered her to tie up two friends, Charles Hewlett, 25, and Howard Meak, 25, who had been waiting for her, unaware of the intruder.
    He took $100 from the two men and then forced her into her car and drove toward Long Beach. She said she jumped from the car on a freeway and ran against traffic until found by a Highway Patrolman.
    Miss Birdsong suffered multiple lacerations when she jumped from the car.

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