Jaycee Dugard, on June 10, 1991, at the age of 11, was walking alone to the bus stop near her home in California, where she always waited for the school bus.
At that moment, a car stopped beside her, using a stun gun and abruptly pulled the young girl forcefully, leaving her no time to react. The young girl’s stepfather, Carl Probyn, watched from the window. He immediately tried to chase the vehicle on a bicycle but without success.
The police were promptly called, and the search began. The search included dogs, planes, and numerous police officers. All attempts were unsuccessful.
The police were accused of having failed multiple times in this case, which could have led to the girl’s rescue. The main complaint is that they did not thoroughly investigate what was later concluded to be a crucial lead.
The stepfather then became the prime suspect. He was accused by the police of being the kidnapper of his stepdaughter, which cost him his marriage and brought him contempt from society.
I was unjustly accused, I lost my marriage and my life. The police made me the only suspect and threw me into hell.
Carl Probyn, stepfather
Jaycee Lee Dugard’s 18-Year Captivity
The girl was taken to the house of her captors, about 270 kilometers away from where she was abducted. The people responsible for the crime were Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy. They orchestrated the kidnapping together.
It didn’t take long for Phillip to start raping Jaycee Dugard frequently, resulting in the young girl’s pregnancy. She had two daughters with her captor, with the first one being born when the victim was only 14 years old.
Neither of the girls ever went to school or to the doctor. They were kept completely isolated.
Stated Police Officer Fred Kollar in a press interview.
The Garrido couple lived with Dugard and the two children in a residence in Antioch, California. While the Garrido couple lived in front of the street, Dugard lived with her two daughters in the back of the property, in an old and dirty shack.
Behind the house, there was a shelter, tents, and small structures where Jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives.
Stated Police Officer Fred Kollar in a press interview.
Phillip Craig Garrido’s Past
Philip Garrido had an extensive criminal record. He was on parole and was convicted of rape and kidnapping in 1971. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison at the time, but was released after only serving 10 years.
He is also suspected of other crimes in the area, but without concrete evidence to incriminate him.
Christine Murphy, Garrido’s first wife, described him as a “monster.” According to Christine, he was a manipulative and aggressive man who once, in a fit of rage, tried to gouge her eyes out with a pin.
Garrido claimed to have stopped abusing children after the birth of his youngest daughter. However, his version does not match reality: his last conviction for sexual crimes dates back to 1999, while his youngest daughter was born 5 years earlier.
Rescue of Jaycee Dugard
While Garrido was distributing religious flyers at the University of California, some police officers noticed suspicious behavior on his part. At the police station, it was discovered that the citizen was Phillip Garrido, living on parole after serving a sentence for rape.
His parole officer called him in, and he showed up for the meeting accompanied by the two children, his wife, and Jaycee, whom he introduced by the name “Allissa.”
The agent, who had already been to Garrido’s house several times, had never seen “Allissa” and the two girls before. “He thought these people were suspicious,” Kollar reported.
Even in the presence of the police, Jaycee hesitated to tell the truth. It took multiple attempts by the investigators for the truth to come to light.
While some report that Jaycee suffered from Stockholm syndrome, which is why she hesitated to speak, others believe that she was very afraid to tell the truth due to the brainwashing she had been subjected to by her kidnapper since she was abducted.
Stockholm Syndrome: a person subjected to prolonged intimidation develops sympathy, and even love or friendship, for their aggressor.
However, with a lot of persistence from the police, Jaycee Dugard told the truth, and on August 27, 2009, she had the opportunity to finally return to the arms of her family. Just minutes later, she was already on the phone with her mother, and they had the chance to meet on the same day.
Jaycee Lee Dugard was 29 years old at the time of the rescue, while her two daughters were 11 and 15 years old. All three were in good health.
Phillip, accused of a total of 26 crimes, was sentenced to 431 years in prison, while his wife Nancy was sentenced to life imprisonment, but as part of a plea agreement with the prosecution, she will serve a 36-year sentence.
