Missing For Years
Most 11 year olds don’t have a lot of worries. There are no big worries or responsibilities yet on their little shoulders.
- They go to school and learn.
- Hobbies like little league or pianotake up their time.
- Play with their friends and just get to be carefree kids
But for Jaycee Dugard everything changed in her life in just one quick moment when she was 11 years old.
In 1991 Jaycee was kidnapped by Phillip Garrido in South Lake Tahoe, California, as she was walking to catch the school bus.
Garrido approached her in his grey car and she figured he was going to ask for directions. He used a stun gun and she was paralyzed. Jaycee was held captive by Phillip and his wife Nancy.
Phillip had a history of drug abuse and was a convicted sex offender. Authorities believe that Nancy had been scoping out Jaycee as a prize for her husband. Jaycee was taken to Phillip and Nancy Garrido’s home, where Jaycee was imprisoned for the next 18 years in a shed.
Jaycee’s kidnapping made national news and a massive search went on to find her. Search teams were not able to find her, and she remained in captivity until 2009. Jaycee was a victim of sexual abuse from her captor Phillip, and she gave birth to two children as a result of the abuse. He had previously raped a 14-year-old girl and a woman who managed to escape.
Jaycee didn’t know it but she was only two hours away from her home. Phillip was her only human contact. He would sit and tell her funny stories and bring her fast food. This is apparently classic behavior for a pedophile. She says the only way she survived the abuse was by ‘switching off, and going someplace else.’ Her mother continuously looked for her, and asked her neighbors to keep their porch lights on for Jaycee.
When Jaycee and her children were discovered their living conditions were appalling to law enforcement. Jaycee and her kids had been livingin a tentin the backyard. The young mother attempted to make the most out of it that she couldfor the sake of her children.
There aren’t any pictures of Jayce from the 11 to the 29 years of age.
They were not living with 21st century staples like electricity or running water. The only thing the kids really had to play with was a decrepit swing set.
Garrido built an eight-foot-tall fence around the backyard so no one could see in, and set her up with the tent that she would later live in with her children.
While Jaycee was kidnapped, Phillip and Nancy let Jaycee go out in public and let her help with the family business. Eventually people started to question why he walked around with a woman and a blonde child. This is what led to the investigation of the Garrido’s where Jaycee was found.
She is now 31 years old, and she wrote a book called ‘A stolen life.’ She is telling her story so that thousands of other sexual abuse survivors know that survival is your ‘strength not your shame.’ When she had her children at age 14 she had to live outside with them in a tent that her captors forced her to be in.
Presently, Jaycee is actively involved in the fight to raise awareness about child abduction. Her story and message is a powerful one and shows that there is hope in hopeless situations.
Jaycee has also received a ‘Lifetime Leadership’ honor at the third annual ‘The DVF Awards’ for her bravery. She also has her own foundation called the JAYC Foundation which gives support to families that are dealing with abduction and other tragedies.