A young girl who was abducted and later reappeared at her family residence after nine months, dressed in the same attire she was wearing when she vanished, has disclosed that cooperating with her abductor was key to her survival.
Abby Hernandez was only 14 years old when she was taken while walking back from school in North Conway, New Hampshire, leaving authorities puzzled about her whereabouts.
The quest for Abby in 2013 evolved into one of the most extensive searches in the state’s history as the local community grappled with the fate of the Kennett High School freshman. Unbeknownst to them, a local man was solely responsible for her disappearance.
The grim reality was that Nathaniel Kibby had kidnapped Abby and confined her just 30 miles north of Conway in a storage container, subjecting her to continuous sexual abuse and torment.
In an interview with ABC, Abby shared that her survival instinct immediately kicked in upon her abduction. She recounted, “I remember telling myself, ‘Okay, I have to cooperate with this guy.’ I said to him, ‘I won’t judge you for this. If you release me, I won’t disclose this to anyone.'”
“I distinctly recall never concluding my prayers with ‘amen’,” Abby admitted. “I didn’t want my prayers to end because I didn’t want God to abandon me. I simply desired to stay alive.”
Employing a strategic approach, Abby managed to build rapport with her captor. “I informed him, ‘You don’t seem like a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes. If you set me free, I won’t reveal this to anyone.'”
This tactic proved effective, leading to increased trust from her abductor, who even allowed her to forge money at his residence. Abby explained, “Part of how I gained his trust, I suppose, was… I complied with his wishes.”
Clinical psychologist Rebecca Bailey commended Abby’s extraordinary strategy, stating, “It’s remarkable that she was able to strategize. It demonstrates her remarkable problem-solving ability and capacity to navigate out of a state of terror.”
Abby’s decision became pivotal when her captor started providing her with books to read, leading her to discover his name inscribed in a cookbook he had given her. “I asked, ‘Who’s Nate Kibby?’ And he hesitated, responding, ‘How do you know my name?'”
Eventually, fearing a police visit to his residence due to a counterfeiting probe, Kibby released Abby several months later. A woman named Lauren Munday, who claimed to have interacted with Kibby online, recounted how he gave her three counterfeit $50 bills to aid in securing a hotel room, only for her to uncover one fake bill.
Munday informed 20/20, “So, I warned him, ‘Whatever illegal activity you’re conducting in your basement, you better clean it up immediately, as they are coming for you.'”
Kibby made Abby promise not to disclose his identity to anyone, then drove her back to North Conway, where she was snatched nine months earlier. Clad in the same attire she wore during her disappearance, she walked the remaining distance to her mother’s residence.
“I recall looking up and laughing, feeling immensely happy,” Abby expressed. “Oh my God, this truly happened. I am free. I never imagined it would happen to me, but I am free.”
Abby furnished the authorities with Kibby’s name and location, leading to his admission of guilt on seven felony charges, including kidnapping and sexual assault. He is presently serving a 45 to 90-year life sentence outside New Hampshire.
“If I were to write a manual on how abduction victims should handle their situations… the first chapter would be about Abby,” remarked former FBI profiler and ABC News consultant Brad Garrett. “It always involves creating a bond with the perpetrator.”
Despite the transformative impact of her ordeal, Abby has developed a newfound appreciation for life. “Whenever I step outside now, I make a conscious effort to savor the sunlight and fresh air. It feels different in my lungs… I strive to never take that for granted.”
“Don’t lose hope… even in moments of despair, hope is an unassailable force. Hold onto it. It will sustain you.”