Shocking Facts About Jaycee Lee Dugard Story

Jaycee Lee's Life in Captivity

Jaycee Lee Dugard's harrowing tale began on June 10, 1991, when she was kidnapped by convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido. Born in 1991, Jaycee faced an early life marked by family upheaval. Her biological father was absent, and her relationship with her stepfather was distant. In pursuit of a safer environment, the Dugard family relocated to Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, in 1990.

The Kidnapping

On that fateful day in 1991, as Jaycee walked to the school bus stop, she was abducted by Garrido and his wife Nancy. Tased and dragged into their vehicle during a three-hour journey, Jaycee's life took a tragic turn.

Life In Captivity

Imprisoned in a soundproof shed in the Garridos' backyard, Jaycee endured unimaginable suffering for 18 years. Shackled, stripped, and forbidden to speak her name, she faced manipulation, sexual assault, and verbal abuse. Grateful for her daughters born in captivity at ages 14 and 17, Jaycee found solace in their company.

Pregnancy in Captivity

After nearly three years, the Garridos gave Jaycee brief periods of freedom from her handcuffs, suspecting her pregnancy. Jaycee gave birth at 14 and 17, navigating motherhood under the oppressive control of her captors.

Rescue

On August 24, 2009, Garrido went to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in San Francisco and left a four-page essay with his ideas about religion and sexuality. He claimed he had found a way to solve dysfunctional sexual behaviors.

On the same day, Garrido went to University of California, Berkeley with Dugard's two daughters. There, he went to the campus police office to ask for permission to hold a special event as part of his "God's Desire" program. He talked to Lisa Campbell, who is in charge of special events.

She noticed his erratic behavior and asked him to come back the following day. Phillip left his name before he left. Officer Ally Jacobs did a background check and found that Garrido was a registered sex offender on federal parole for kidnapping and rape.

The next day, Garrido and the girls went back to their appointment at 2 p.m., and Jacobs was there. Jacobs thought the girls looked pale, like they hadn't been in the sun, and that they were acting in a strange way. Jacob called the parole office to report the disturbing situation she had seen.

Later that day, two parole officers came to Garrido's house where they arrested Phillip. He was later released after he claimed the girls were his relative's daughters. However, he was asked to come back the following day to the university as he still had some questions to answer about the identity of the girls.

On August 26, Phillip went to the university with his wife, the two girls and Duggard. To ensure the validity of the information they were about to obtain, they were separated and interrogated individually.

When questioned, Jaycee hid her identity and said good things about Phillip. Jaycee displayed symptoms of Stockholm syndrome, a condition where a captive becomes emotionally attached to her captor. While in captivity, Jaycee had several opportunities for escape but she never utilized them.

Phillip confessed he had kidnapped Jaycee Lee 18 years prior, and that the children were his.

For the crime, Phillip was sentenced to life in prison while his wife, Nancy, was given 36-year sentence.

Jaycee sued the state of California for mishandling Phillip's parole as she was kidnapped while the criminal was serving his parole. She received a compensation of $20 million.