Kidnapped as a Child, Held for 18 Years: Jaycee Lee Dugard Shares Her Story

Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted at the age of 11 from California by Phillip and Nancy Garrido. Phillip Garrido is a convicted s-- offender who kidnapped Dugard and kept her captive for 18 years, during which she was subjected to 'unimaginable terror'.

Dugard was also forced to give birth twice during the years she spent in captivity.

On June 10, 1991, Dugard left her California home for a bus stop. She was dressed in a bright pink outfit, and as she was walking towards the bus stop, a car pulled up alongside her. As it stopped, Dugard thought the driver needed directions, but instead he used a stun device on her, which temporarily paralyzed her, as she collapsed on the ground.

Phillip Garrido, a convicted s-- offender and a paedophile, kidnapped Dugard and kept her at a soundproof shed in his garden. She was abused in his captivity and was forced to give birth twice, in 18 years.

Jaycee Lee Dugard said the last thing she felt before her life was irrevocably altered was a pine cone beneath her hands as she collapsed to the ground. Behind the wheel was Phillip Garrido, a convicted s-- offender and pedophile, while his wife, Nancy Garrido, sat in the back seat and restrained Dugard.

The pine cone later became a reminder of her life before the abduction, serving as a symbol during her years of captivity. Today, Dugard wears a pine cone necklace, saying, “It was the last grip on me. Now it's a symbol of growth and new beginnings, and that there is a life after something tragic,” as reported by the Daily Star.

Jaycee Lee Dugard remembers a man saying, “I can’t believe we got away with it,” and laughing while they traveled 120 miles to his home. The young girl was then held captive and s--ually abused by Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy Garrido. Dugard was confined in a makeshift shelter in the backyard and was forced to give birth to two children without medical assistance.

The couple had built a network of sheds in their backyard, one of which was soundproof. Dugard was chained and left alone, and told that dogs were outside patrolling, ready to attack. She strained to hear aircraft and trains, seeking any sense of human connection.

In a 2011 ABC News interview, Dugard said, “It was like the most horrible moment of your life, times 10. I was so lonely, I felt so alone.” Seven days into the abduction, Garrido bought her a milkshake and told her things would be better, right before he raped her for the first time. “There was not a day I didn’t cry. I felt like there would ever be a day when I didn’t cry again. After a while, I told myself I can’t cry anymore,” Dugard said.

When asked how she kept her sanity, she answered, “I was still alive. There was still hope. You just do what you have to do to survive. Sometimes you just hold on to any kind of hope.” Over the years, several parole officers visited the premises to check on details of his prior offenses, yet none of them found her.

Phillip Garrido was eventually caught by the police in 2011 and was sentenced to 431 years in prison. His wife, Nancy Garrido, was described as equally evil and twisted as Philip. She was sentenced to 36 years behind bars.

Dugard was given a $20 million settlement from the state of California. She had also pursued several legal actions against the federal government that oversaw Garrido’s parole from 1988, mentioning that if they had done their job with responsibility, he would not have been able to kidnap her. However, the lawsuit was dismissed.