>>214481755 (OP)
The charge of first-degree murder requires premeditation and malice aforethought. Every game had a clear and undeniable path to survival. The traps were designed with a key, a combination, or a choice that allowed the participant to escape. The risk of death was not the intent; it was the consequence of the victim's own choices. This is not murder. Kramer himself often said, "Live or die, the choice is yours." The decision to fail and die, rather than endure the pain and live, was not his.
As for kidnapping, the legal definition involves a demand for ransom or a malicious purpose. Kramer's purpose was to rehabilitate them. The freedom of each individual was always a choice, not a hostage situation.
He's a free man.