This year I would have to say 3096 days in captivity. It’s the true story of Natascha Kampusch who was kidnapped at 10 and forced to basically be her captors slave. He starved her and then loved her, he beat her and gave her presents. All through her traumatic years imprisoned by him she remained so strong and it was just such a compelling and inspiring story. There’s a also a movie depicting the kidnapping but this is by her and it has her real thoughts and feelings in it while being wonderfully written.
Very rarely do we hear about kidnap victims escaping alive, and those very same victims sympathizing with their captors. Such is the case of Natascha Kampusch, who was abducted at the age of 10 on March 2, 1998, in Vienna, Austria. Her kidnapper, Wolfgang Přiklopil, confined her in a small cell beneath the garage. The hidden room was dark, soundproof, and had no windows. For the first six months of her captivity, Natascha was barred from ever leaving her chamber, but slowly, she was granted permission to spent time upstairs only when her captor was home. Every night, she was sent back to her chamber. On a typical day, the two would get up early each morning and eat breakfast together. Natascha spent much of her time cleaning and cooking for her captor, and her favourite pastimes were reading, listening to the radio, and watching television, although she was only allowed to watch taped programs and listen to foreign stations so she could not be aware of the nationwide search for her. As punishment, Přiklopil would beat the young girl so badly that she was unable to walk and starve her, threatening to kill her if she ever tried to escape. Often, Natascha fantasized about chopping his head off with an ax. Shortly after her 18th birthday, she was allowed to go out in public with Přiklopil but was warned she would be killed if she tried to attract attention. They even went on a skiing trip at a resort where Natascha claimed she had no opportunity to escape. But finally, on August 23, 2006, that opportunity arrived. While the pair were in the backyard washing his car, Přiklopil stepped away to take a phone call. Quickly she made her escape, running through streets and jumping over fences and calling for help. She was promptly brought to the police station and Přiklopil, knowing for sure the police were looking for him, committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. After eight years of captivity, Natascha was finally free.
Natascha cried profusely upon learning her captor was dead. She seemed to sympathize with him, even lighting a candle for him at the morgue. She stated she felt ‘’more and more sorry for him’’ and referred to him as a ‘’poor soul’’. Many psychologists proposed she was suffering from Stockholm syndrome. However, Natascha strongly rejected this diagnosis, saying that it’s disrespectful and disallows her to reflect on and talk about the complex bond she shared with her kidnapper. Today, she is now a spokesperson for the animal rights group, PETA.
“We live in a world in which women are battered and are unable to flee from the men who beat them, although their door is theoretically standing wide open. One out of every four women becomes a victim of severe violence. One out of every two will be confronted by sexual harassment over her lifetime. These crimes are everywhere and can take place behind any front door in the country, every day, and barely elicit much more than a shrug of the shoulders and superficial dismay.” ― 3096 Days, by Natascha Kampusch
“What I’ve learned about people is this: No one is infallible, and anyone can find themselves in a position where they lose control of their lives.” — Natascha Kampusch: The Whole Story (2010)
Above is the last photo of 13-year-old Abby Williams, taken by her friend, Libby German, 14, during their hike on an American hiking trail in Delphi, Indiana. At 1:45 PM on February 13, 2017, a family member dropped off the two girls at an abandoned bridge where they planned to go hiking. However, when they did not later show up at the same bridge to be picked up, they were reported missing. Their remains were found the next day, roughly 0.5 miles from the bridge. Police are currently looking for a man who they suspect is involved in the murders. They released an audio recording found on Libby’s phone of him saying, ‘’Down the hill’’. There is apparently more evidence from Libby’s cell phone in relation to the unidentified man that’s yet to be disclosed. The suspect is described as a white male between 5'6 and 5'10, weighing between 180 and 220 lbs with reddish brown hair. Police have not publicly revealed how the two friends were murdered.
- 16-year-old Brenda Spencer’s answer as to why she shot up an elementary school in 1979.
Spencer, who is one of only three female school shooters, used a .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle to shoot 11 people. Eight children and a police officer were severely injured, while the principal and a custodian were killed. After the shooting, she locked herself in her house and telephoned a journalist whom interviewed her over the phone. He then passed the call onto police negotiators, who she told “I’ll come out shooting!” After a few hours, Spencer ended up surrendering.
Tried as an adult, Spencer pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon. She remains incarcerated.
Crime Culture is a pop culture focused true crime podcast. We release new episodes every Tuesday and here you will find all of the resources, crime scene photos, and links from each episode as well as playlists, reading lists, and suggested movies and documentaries.
