robert berchtold childhood
Robert Berchtold was a well-known American truck driver, media face, retired US Army Officer who served the country during the Vietnam War and was also a convicted criminal suspect who kidnapped a too-young girl Jan Broberg in the 1970s. The undeniably horrific saga of Jan Broberg's kidnapping at the hands of her neighbor Robert Berchtold not once but twice while she was 12 and 14, respectively, is honestly unlike any other. A Friend of the Family, created by Nick Antosca, is based on the real-life case featured in the 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight . Berchtold married Jan Broberg in Mazatln, and 35 days after the kidnapping, called his brother, Joe, asking him to contact Bob and Mary Ann to get their blessing to return home with Jan and be wed in the United States. Or at least remove them from having access to children and young people. The disturbing Netlifx documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight details Berchtold abducting Broberg when she was 12 years old. They didnt have to do that, but they did. All he ever got was a slap on the wrist, and then he was able to continue as before. Although he ruined Jans childhood, Berchtold never fully paid for his vile crimes against Jan Broberg in prison. After all, as profiled in both Netflix's 'Abducted in Plain Sight' as well as Peacock's 'A . [There] was the brainwashing that was groomed into me before I was kidnapped[like being led to believe] that there were aliens. The first abduction occurred when she was just 12 years old and the second, two years later, at the age of 14. And the sad thing is, unfortunately, you're getting attention from somebody. Which he adds, emphatically, They. You can never blame them or their family members who didnt know. 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. In January 1974, Robert Berchtold was rebuked by the LDS Church for a relationship with a young girl. "It's the smokescreen that a master manipulator creates," Broberg warned. I immediately started to sob and then [had] this elation feeling. Berchtold, a frequent visitor to the Broberg household, orchestrated these heinous acts. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Watch it on Netflix. 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. He never brought her home. I keep telling Nick we have to do a series number two. All rights reserved. Everybody gets hurt. On Aug. 10, 1976, she disappeared again. However, the family still wasn't rid of Robert Berchtold. Their childhood was . After a career of playing affable characters, the Emmy-nominated actor discusses his darkest turn yetand what made him feel okay playing a real-life bad guy. After getting Jan back, Mary Ann took her to see a physician who reported that they couldnt see any signs of sexual trauma. To the Brobergs, this meant their daughter had not been raped by Berchtold. Was that after the documentary came out? "I was this special person that was going to have this special child that was going to save the world," Broberg explained. The affidavits compromised the FBIs case against B. His brother Joe had even visited while Jan was there, and he noted that Robert, looked happier than hed ever been.. "I met my ex-husband and we had kids. I felt she was unaffectionate as a parent: there were no hugs or "I love you"s when I was growing up. Next: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Can Solve 1 True Crime Show Problem. What was it like seeing the scenes between Jake Lacy and your character during the kidnapping? On October 17th, 1974, 12 year old Jan Broberg was kidnapped by her next door neighbor & parents' best friend. I could look at the coat. "Many harmed by child sexual assault. She strongly continues to spread awareness of Berchtolds crimes through the new drama series. Michael has been already been convicted and released for time served, but followup episodes happened, along with an HBO dramatization that appears further down in this list. The hope for Abducted in Plain Sight, Borgman and Jan Broberg Felt have both said, is that it helps end the culture of silence around sexual abuse and assault. Theyre the bravest people I know, willing to try to help the rest of you see what they didn't. his) demands if she wanted her family to stay safe. Robert Berchtold was ultimately given a prison sentence, but rather than face life behind bars, he downed a bottle of heart medication with Kahla and milk and ended his life. 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. That is the only reason we told our story. Robert Berchtold's childhood The documentary only slightly went into "B's" past. My feelings get hurt easily and I have a hard time expressing myself without crying; I'd rather just shut down and stay out of the way. After picking Jan up from piano lessons and drugging her, Berchtold dragged the unconscious child into his motorhome, bound her wrists and ankles to his bed with straps, and set up a small device to play a recording. The district attorneywho had basically prosecuted his showing up at that conference with a gun as a registered sex offendercalled me. He escaped jail time and moved to Utah to work for his brother. But I could see Bob playing the tape, so I didn't believe him. How involved were you with the making of the show? All but 45 days of his prison sentence were suspended, and B ended up only serving 10 days in prison, according to the documentary. I don't remember much of that evening. Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? Peacock's A Friend of the Family sent social media into a frenzy because of its shocking depiction of Jan Broberg's life. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. Robert Hites Berchtold, 90, of Beaver Falls, formerly of New Brighton, died Thursday, September 10, 2020, in Providence Care Center. She had slowly begun to question whether the aliens were real, but a small part of her still believed in them. Robert Ersol Berchtold, 69, of Logandale, died Nov. 11, 2005. It was an interesting thing. Photo: Courtesy Jan Broberg. He took her inside the motor home and abused her, while I waited outside. Thats not in the documentary, Broberg said. Shes your daughter. But this time you were seeing an actor bring your abuser to life, witnessing two actors portray you during this traumatic period, and seeing actors portray your family. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Robert Berchtold. But Jan became even more withdrawn, and all the while, she was still thinking about what would happen to her family when she failed to complete the mission.. Related: Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Sparked An Important True Crime Debate. I found my mother's cold reaction to be just what I expected from her. And then he had her wait outside while he abused me. When I was 10, Bob tried to use the same alien story on me that he had used on Jan Broberg [an earlier victim who was abused by Robert Berchtold from 1972-1976. Our two families, with the popcorn, watched Star Trek and Lost in Space. Kerry Washington Goes for LaughsAnd TruthIn Hulu Comedy. Let me inform you that Read More Robert Berchtold Wiki, Wife, Age, Family, Brother . In 2005, Berchtold was found guilty of the assault committed during the Stolen Innocence book tour. The new series also delves into how said abductor Robert "B" Berchtold manipulated the family.. And if you saw the 2017 true-crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, you know that Jan's father, the late Bob Broberg (who . Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. They had no idea about the abuse. He hoped to give Zachary a glimpse of his father. When I went to the premiere with my sisters and mother, they all got to meet Colin Hanks and spent some time with him, a little more than just a hello. Cunning child predator Robert Berchtold would be accused of sexually abusing Jan Broberg over several years, but he would see little time behind bars for a multitude of reasons.. Peacock's original series, "A Friend of the Family," is based on the stranger-than-fiction story of the Broberg family, whose young daughter was twice kidnapped by trusted family friend Robert Berchtold. As we have discussed above Gail was the ex-wife of Robert Berchtold, who abducted his neighbour, Jan Broberg Felt. Im certain its because each of those relationships helped me on my path to healing, but they werent permanent. Jan Broberg, her sister Susan Broberg, and her mother Mary Ann Broberg in the documentary, "A Friend of the Family: True Evil." As far as the other scenes, I think I really have been able to [separate myself]. She traveled to meet him, and he begged her to leave her husband and live with him. Berchtold had a family of his own, and his children would often play with the Broberg kids, including Jan, according to ATI. This info was at 17 min left in the doc. After Brobergs first kidnapping, B blackmailed her parents, Bob and Mary Ann, into signing affidavits claiming he had consent to bring their daughter to Mexico. Your family was so close to the Berchtolds for years. Pete Welsh, the lead FBI agent investigating Jans disappearance, had to drill that into our minds, Mary Ann explains in an interview. Her dad owned Atkin Florist, while her mother was a homemaker. The nine-episode series, which premiered this week, retells the sagathis time making it clear how a family like the Brobergs could have let Berchtold (plus his wife and young children) into their lives and continue to give the neighbor second chances. Following the incident, he convinced the Brobergs that part of his therapy required him to sleep in the same bed as their 12-year-old daughter Jan while listening to tapes provided by his therapist. The abuse went on for seven-and-a-half years. By the second kidnapping she had filed for a divorce, Broberg said. Berchtold was a friend of the Broberg family. I remember waking up in the morning and not feeling well at all. A few people in the movie vaguely assert that it was the 1970s, and no one really understood what pedophiles were, or that intimate friends and family members could also present a real danger to children. Joe alerted the FBI, and they traced Berchtold to a hotel in Mazatln where he was arrested and transported back to the United States. That was terrifying and surreal because I was finishing a speech for a thousand women and their daughters. I can't imagine how many girls there were before Jan, between Jan and I, and how many came after me. 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. The Peacock drama miniseries A Friend of the Family shows how Jan Broberg was kidnapped twice when she was a child after her abductor ingratiated himself with her parents. My mother worked two jobs, so there was a lot of time for that. He even showed up at a speaking engagement of yours with a gun. Berchtold made them believe his therapist had advised him to work through his pedophilia by sharing a bed with Jan. As it turned out, Berchtold had helped Jan escape out of her bedroom window that night. Vanity Fairs 2023 Hollywood Issue Welcomes You to the After-Party of Our Dreams, Inside the New Rights Next Frontier:The American West, The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of Gloria Swansons Legendary Memoir, The One Thingthe Royal Family Never Travels Without: Blood, NetflixsMurdaugh Murders Team Say Theyve Uncovered New Crimes, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka Is About to Get a Lot More Awkward, The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, What Is Cinema? In 1974, he abducted the then 12-year-old, and once again two years later. Despite the distance, Berchtold kept in contact with Jan, delivering her love letters and secret sets of instructions to meet with him. 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. 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