Netflix documentary tells the story of how Jan Broberg was kidnapped twice at the ages of 12 and 14 by Robert 'B' Berchtold, a trusted family friend . That womans two daughters had been raped and molested [by him], and they ran away from home. I finally told my mother about the abuse. It did. For more information, please see our She had that same kind of brightness. Thats why Im so grateful to have this series. I said, Did you do some deep dive on my dad that I dont even know about? Hes like, No. Because my happy, carefree world changed in an instantand that was the instant when I woke up with my arms and my feet restrained in a dark room and that voice, that was so terrifying. I just thought it was what you did. In 1976, he spent 10 days in jail after accepting a plea deal based on the first kidnapping, then was sentenced to a mental facility for 6 months. When Bob was 3 yrs old his father passed away and in 1939 his mother married Joseph Ersol Berchtold who raised Bob and . Mary Ann Broberg described Berchtold as having a charisma that Bob didnt possess., Jan Broberg works as an actress, known for roles in. And did that give you some sort of relief or closure? There's somebody else who's doing it.". Up until her kidnapping at the age of 12, Broberg describes her childhood in Pocatello as wonderful and idyllic. Photo: Courtesy Jan Broberg. They were just extraordinary. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. As Mary Ann described, they got a little too cozy and the first seeds of what would eventually grow into an affair were planted. He said he wanted me to take a vitamin. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. The Broberg family met the Berchtold family through their church in a small town in Idaho in 1972, according to the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight., "He was the kind of guy that was just helpful," Broberg said of her initial impressions of B. That was a really crazy little period of time. Jan Broberg's abuser convinced her she was the last chance for an alien species. He holds a bachelor's degree in screenwriting (widely considered to be a bad move) from Point Park University. Nonetheless Berchtold, even after his conviction and his briefest of interludes in prison, was able not only to be around children, but also to purchase and run a family-fun center as a business. Its like a heavy coat that I wore and that was a burden for me until the day I decided I could take it off. If you can see yourself in this story, then we succeeded. Watching Jake Lacy become Berchtold was seamless. Youve revisited this chapter of your life before in your books, documentary, and speaking engagements. Karen Campbell, one of Jans sisters, comes closest to analyzing what happened when she posits that her parents are simply experts in denial. He hoped to give Zachary a glimpse of his father. A recording began to tell her the story of how she was half-alien, and the extra-terrestrial species' survival depended on her to procreate with the male companion of their choosing. Its a surreal experience. He wanted to talk on the phone and to go out, and Bob didn't like it. Be the creator of your life. Jan Broberg went on to be the subject of her mothers retelling of her story, Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story and was part of the 2019 Netflix true-crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, detailing the twisted affair. Heidi Brewer met Broberg while filming this documentary. I was making great strides in my life and my career and my familyall the things that I am so grateful for. Listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher or the ABC News app. Jan has this very colorful story of what happened to her, and none of that happened to me. [My sister] Karen isnt blind. The [A Friend of the Family team] were sensitiveThey wanted it to be told in an honest, complete, and realistic way. S, Welcome to Love Like This?, a romance column where we, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Ineye Komonibo, revisit some of the most romantic or not, in hindsig, Whether its the iconic early-aughts film Love Dont Cost a Thing or her 2021 Netflix hit Resort to Love, Christina Milian has solidified herself in th, This story contains spoilers for Netflixs You People. Robert, his wife Gail Toyn Berchtold, and their children moved to Pocatello, Idaho, perhaps in the early 1970s, only to live next door to the equally religious Broberg family. When Robert Berchtold first moved to town he became extremely close with the Broberg family, but as time went on it became clear that Berchtolds end goal was to get to Jan Broberg. Robert Berchtold was born on November 6, 1920, and died at age 50 years old in August 1971. Watch the exclusive trailer for the sharp upcoming series, starring Washington as a single mom whose father (Delroy Lindo) comes to live with her after being released from prison. The Brobergs seemingly knew. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. Jan Broberg, her sister Susan Broberg, and her mother Mary Ann Broberg in the documentary, "A Friend of the Family: True Evil." The Berchtold family also had a baby girl when they met in the Peacock dramatization. Bob kidnapped Jan twice, whereas he never kidnapped me. I get to be the examiner. Robert kidnapped Jan Broberg, who was only 12 years old girl. It really was amazing. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The movie includes pictures Berchtold took of Jan as a 12-year-old girl, all straw-colored hair, wide eyes, and freckles. Berchtold vanished from their lives, but managed to avoid going to prison. I hope theyre doing okay, especially his kids. I never saw a psychiatrist or a therapist. But when we got to his apartment, his kids weren't there. He took me by her house, picked her up and took us both to his motor home. Which he adds, emphatically, They. My mom was divorced, lonely and didn't want to be alone anymore. One of the scenes in Abducted in Plain Sight that best encapsulates the strangeness of its story comes midway through, after the second time a teenager named Jan Broberg has been kidnapped by a close family friend. In particular, the fact that the Berchtolds and the Brobergs were all part of the same faith community seems to merit more analysis than it receives. Shes gone., The Brobergs relative calm in the face of their 12-year-old daughters abduction by an adult man is one of the most immediately disturbing elements of the story. Our two families, with the popcorn, watched Star Trek and Lost in Space. In the doc, he said he was sexually abused by the "help", didn't feel part of the new family (mother had other children to new husband) and slept in a separate bunkhouse. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He took her inside the motor home and abused her, while I waited outside. Robert Berchtold began taking the Broberg kids to school every day and took Jan on activities including horseriding and family vacations. 2 . Firstly Bob and Mary Ann let Berchtold share a bed with their daughter multiple times, knowing that he was being counselled for being attracted to children. Who is Robert Berchtold's Family? Many people did. He explained to Bob that he had a traumatic childhood, including having sex with an aunt when he was four. Truth is, you don't really want to know what happens to Robert Berchtold after the events of the series. Then, on Christmas Eve, Gail Berchtold stopped by the Brobergs house and asked them to drop any charges against her husband, presenting them with affidavits to sign. She worked as an actress and went on to star in several television shows and movies, such as the canceled show Everwood. Berchtold eventually moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he bought a family fun center. I was so involved and so consulted and so cared for. Theres a lot more to the story. The children in the clan considered Berchtold a second father, so much so that when he fled to Mexico with a 12-year-old Jan by his side in August 1974, the family was initially unwilling to. October 5, 2022. How are you, Susan? He told the Brobergs he needed to sleep in Jans bed. Robert Hites Berchtold, 90, of Beaver Falls, formerly of New Brighton, died Thursday, September 10, 2020, in Providence Care Center. We will find the advocacy and the legal ways to put serial predators behind bars. Now, Jan said, she sees that it was likely because she wasnt a little kid anymore. "When people ask me about the brainwashing, I'm like, 'It took 10 seconds.' Broberg, now. Kerry Washington Goes for LaughsAnd TruthIn Hulu Comedy. She was rescued by the FBI, who found Broberg and B in his mobile home in Mexico, according to the documentary. They are curious about where the real Robert Berchtold is now. But now this man she didn't really know could let himself in at any time. People knew, or certainly had surmised, that he was a threat. Im certain its because each of those relationships helped me on my path to healing, but they werent permanent. The Brobergs were going to call the police until Gail Berchtold, Roberts wife, asked them not to. I got to have meetings with the art department, the costume departmentI went to the location of the home they found. If she failed to do this, the aliens warned, her sister Susan would be chosen instead, and harm would come to the rest of her family. Berchtolds wife, Gail, is often referenced in the beginning of. Jans family waited several days before notifying the FBI, and even after doing so were reluctant to accept that Robert Berchtold had actually done anything wrong. Robert Berchtold and Jan Broberg. Gail Berchtold Career . Faith leaders knew. In addition, B would consistently show Broberg's parents, Mary Ann and Bob, newspaper clippings of alleged UFO sightings around the country. She recently graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a BA in journalism and a minor in film studies. The children in the clan considered Berchtold a second father, so much so that when he fled to Mexico with a 12-year-old Jan by his side in August 1974, the family was initially unwilling to. What was it like to film that? Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. Broberg said he managed to justify it to her parents (and convince them he hadnt abused her) by saying they werent allowed to cross the border to come back to the U.S. together without being married. Bob recalled saying to her, Dear, youll regret that decision someday., She stayed in Jackson Hole for two weeks, continuing the mission and living with Berchtold. Im not in contact with them. Before we moved to Salt Lake City, my mother had been so overprotective of me that I wasn't allowed to play in the front yard by myself. She and her family went on to be manipulated by him for years, even after she was returned home from the kidnapping. He also ensnared her parents (Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks), seducing them too into relationships that would blur their vision and later be sources for blackmail. Instead, she blames small-town navet and meticulous grooming on the part . He abducts her again in 1976, after she has . The real Bob Berchtold and Jan Broberg as a child. In the beginning, he would say, "Do what you're told," and then, when I was 13, he said, "If it's not you, it's going to be somebody else." Average Age & Life Expectancy Robert E Berchtold lived 5 years shorter than the average Berchtold family member when he died at the age of 69. He never brought her home. She loves movie villains (specifically Loki), Bojack Horseman, Harry Styles and writing creative fiction and poetry in her spare time. With the emotional adventure of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closing out the controversial fourth, Minor spoilers ahead. I wasn't there for Bob's sentencing. Some viewers hit the roof, wondering how any parent could let their kid be taken by the same person twice. We were in a car, and Bob pulled into a random neighborhood. Not. After Broberg took what she thought were allergy pills before heading to the stables, she passed out in the car, and remembers nothing of the car ride. I wanted to play in the dirt and toss a football. Berchtold and his family often had sleepovers with the Broberg children. B took a particular interest in 12-year-old Jan as well, often showering her with gifts and inviting her on trips. I didn't know the abuse was wrong until I was 12 or 13. When Broberg was 12, Robert Berchtold kidnapped her and played a recording that told that she was half-alien, and that she had to have a baby with Berchtold by the time she was 16 to save the. I never felt like I needed to be validated. Let me inform you that Read More Robert Berchtold Wiki, Wife, Age, Family, Brother . The new Peacock drama miniseries, A Friend Of The Family, tells the true story of how kidnapper Robert Berchtold ruined Jan Brobergs childhood. So Broberg was thrilled to help reframe her and her parents story in Peacocks new limited series A Friend of the Family, which was created by Nick Antosca (The Act and Candy) and invited Broberg and her mother, Mary Ann, to act as producers. SANTA CLARA, Utah (ABC4 News) - Jan Broberg does not blame her parents for her abductions and rape at the hands of trusted family friend Robert Berchtold- even though many who watched the explosive documentary "Abducted in Plain Sight" on Netflix do blame them. He is survived by his wife, Deanna; sons, Jerry, James, Joseph, Ad Choices, Broberg, who first shared the true story of her kidnapping in the documentary, Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fragile Snowflake Donald Trump for Allegedly Trying to Censor Him. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Austin Harvey has also had work published with Discover Magazine, Giddy, and Lucid covering topics on mental health, sexual health, history, and sociology. 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