A young girl who was abducted and later reappeared at her family’s residence after nine months, dressed in the same attire she was taken in, has shared that cooperating with her abductor was a key factor in her survival.
Abby Hernandez was only 14 years old when she was seized while heading home from school in North Conway, New Hampshire, leaving law enforcement authorities puzzled about her whereabouts.
The extensive search for Abby in 2013 became one of the largest in the state’s history as the local community grappled with the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the Kennett High School freshman. Unbeknownst to many, a local man was solely responsible for her disappearance.
The grim reality unveiled that Nathaniel Kibby had kidnapped Abby and held her captive just 30 miles north of Conway, confining her in a storage container where she endured continuous sexual abuse and torment.
During an interview with ABC, Abby disclosed that her survival instincts immediately kicked in upon her abduction: “I recall telling myself, ‘Okay, I need to cooperate with this individual.’ I assured him, ‘I won’t judge you for this. If you release me, I won’t disclose anything about this.'”
“I remember I never concluded my prayers with ‘amen’,” Abby admitted. “I preferred to prolong my prayers as I didn’t want to lose God’s presence. All I truly desired was to survive.”
In a strategic maneuver, Abby succeeded in establishing a rapport with her captor. “I conveyed to him: ‘You don’t come across as a bad person. People make mistakes. If you set me free, I won’t disclose anything about this.'”
This approach proved effective, leading to an increase in his trust towards her, even permitting her to produce counterfeit money at his residence. Abby mentioned, “Part of gaining his trust, I believe, was… complying with his wishes.”
Psychologist Rebecca Bailey commended Abby’s exceptional strategy, highlighting her remarkable ability to navigate through a state of terror and problem-solve.
Abby’s decision became pivotal when her captor started giving her books to read, and one day, she stumbled upon his name inscribed in a cookbook he had gifted her. “I asked, ‘Who’s Nate Kibby?’ And he hesitated before asking, ‘How do you know my name?'”
Eventually, fearing imminent police intervention at his residence due to a counterfeiting inquiry, Kibby released Abby several months later. A person named Lauren Munday, who claimed to have encountered Kibby online, mentioned that he provided her with three counterfeit $50 bills to assist in covering a hotel room expense, only for one of the bills to be counterfeit.
Munday recounted on 20/20: “So, I warned him, ‘You better clean up whatever you’re doing in your basement because they are coming for you.'”
Kibby made Abby pledge not to disclose his identity to anyone, then drove her back to North Conway and set her free in the same outfit she had on when she vanished. She walked the remaining mile to her mother’s residence, overwhelmed with joy. Abby expressed, “I looked up and laughed, feeling so elated. Oh my God, this actually happened. I’m free. I never envisioned this happening to me, but I’m free.”
Abby provided authorities with Kibby’s identity and location, leading to his admission of guilt on seven felony charges, including abduction and sexual assault. He is currently serving a 45 to 90-year life sentence outside of New Hampshire.
Former FBI profiler and ABC News consultant Brad Garrett remarked, “If I were to draft a manual on how victims should confront abductions… the initial chapter would revolve around Abby. It consistently involves forming a bond with the wrongdoer.”
Despite the life-altering experience, Abby has cultivated a newfound appreciation for life. She emphasized, “Whenever I step outside now, I consciously savor sunlight and fresh air. It feels different in my lungs… I strive to never take these for granted.”
“Maintain hope… even when everything seems lost, hope is an unassailable asset. Hold onto it. It will keep you moving forward.”
