A Friend Of The Family: What Happened To Kidnapper Robert Berchtold, Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Sparked An Important True Crime Debate, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Can Solve 1 True Crime Show Problem, Criminal Minds: Evolution May Have Finally Set Up Spencer Reid's Return, The Last of Us Episode 8 Trailer Reveals Original Joel Actor's New Role, Disneys Double Show Cancellation Hints At Big Disney+ Changes. Berchtold was sentenced to five years in prison anyway but served only 10 days. She strongly continues to spread awareness of Berchtolds crimes through the new drama series. He even showed up at a speaking engagement of yours with a gun. In January 1974, just over a year after Berchtold met the Brobergs, he was reprimanded by the High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because of his involvement with another young girl. This info was at 17 min left in the doc. He brainwashed her with false narratives in order to sexually abuse her. What was it like to film that? 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. What was it like seeing the scenes between Jake Lacy and your character during the kidnapping? Abducted in Plain Sight was first released as a documentary in 2017 with the title Forever B, but its gained rather more traction this month after being added to Netflixs true-crime library. She was drugged on numerous occasions; I was only drugged once. He found my apartment and called my apartment. "When people ask me about the brainwashing, I'm like, 'It took 10 seconds.' Theyre the bravest people I know, willing to try to help the rest of you see what they didn't. I was good around adults and I was a people pleaser. Next: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Can Solve 1 True Crime Show Problem. 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. Robert Berchtold and Jan Broberg. Did. Robert Berchtold was born on November 6, 1920, and died at age 50 years old in August 1971. Jake Lacy in A Friend of the Family (Image credit: Peacock ) In the summer of 1972, Robert Berchtold moved a few blocks away from the Brogberg family in Pocatello, Idaho. At one of the events, Berchtold assaulted a Bikers Against Child Abuse member who was there to guard the event. That brainwashing, for me, was something that [lasted] a short period of time. If you can [watch] and go, That would never happen to me. After Jan threatened to find her own way there, Mary Ann bought her a plane ticket and sent her to Berchtold. Who is Robert Berchtold's Family? I could dig into the pockets. Every episode of ABC's award-winning talk show "The View" is now available as a podcast! 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. If she did, he said, her dad would be killed, her sister Karen made blind, and Susan taken in her stead. I think he just knew that I cared about her. He drove her to California, where he enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school claiming that she was his daughter. Who would know? [The older sister] came to the conference when he showed up with the gun. Mary Ann Broberg described Berchtold as having a charisma that Bob didnt possess., Jan Broberg works as an actress, known for roles in. On Aug. 10, 1976, she disappeared again. I guess she wanted a little girl who she could dress up like a doll, but I was a tomboy. NetflixJan Broberg works as an actress, known for roles in Everwood and Criminal Minds. Ive met her and talked to her. They got confirmation on Nov. 11, 1976 102 days after Jan left her home. It all started in 1972 when Berchtold met the Broberg family at a church service in Pocatello, Idaho, and quickly became an esteemed family friend. I feel that he cheated death, as he was never really held accountable for what he did. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, but since the doc is out and everything.looks like any kin he had will never speak of him Scan this QR code to download the app now. There was definitely relief: Okay. He hoped to give Zachary a glimpse of his father. He told her she had been abducted by aliens and that if she didn't have his baby, her sister would go blind and her father would be murdered. Now I wont be able to sleep.. He continued to try to terrorize me in the weirdest ways. 'Abducted in Plain Sight' on Netflix tells the story of Jan Broberg, a girl who is kidnapped by a family friend named Robert "B" Berchtold in the 1970s. The 91-minute film, originally released in 2017, has captivated an entirely new audience since premiering on Netflix this month. Berchtold would show up to the events and pass out fliers denying anything the Brobergs had to say about him. Monday on "The View," Broberg discussed her childhood and the steps taken by family friend Robert Berchtold, who went by the nickname "B," to manipulate the family and kidnap Broberg twice. I was hurt and angry that, after all of that, nothing had really happened to him. Peacocks new drama miniseries, A Friend of the Family, is based on the real events of what happened to Robert Berchtold and the Broberg family in the 1970s. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. 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. The film tells the story of Jan Broberg, who, as a child in the 1970s, was kidnapped twice and sexually abused by Robert "B." Berchtold, a family friend who grew close with her parents. Berchtold vehemently tried to denounce the book, claiming that they were lying about him and about the truth for a profit. Jan Broberg's parents and siblings, as well as the law enforcement professionals who worked on the case, recount the unbelievable sequence of events at the heart of this . Thats why, she says, they didnt probe more when they knew something had happened. The kids played together; the parents enjoyed each others company. We couldnt get over that feeling that it was like he has the same kind of heart. After years of intense grooming, Jan started to gain romantic feelings towards Berchtold. Ive been doing, Hello, doctor with a couple of my friends for about 20 years. I about passed out. "It's the smokescreen that a master manipulator creates," Broberg warned. I did this terrible thingthat part took me until that day I hung up the coat. I wonder if he abused her at all? Not trying to sympathize with him, but just curious about his childhood. BRIGHAM CITY - Robert Ersol Berchtold, age 69, died Frida, November 11, 2005, in Bunkerville, Nevada. Robert Berchtold sexually abused Jan Broberg for several years and manipulated her and her family. Berchtolds wife, Gail, is often referenced in the beginning of. Thats like looking at my brainwashed self again. 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. As she headed home, Berchtold called Bob and told him of their affair. Now I do. The series stars McKenna Grace as Jan, along with Jake Lacy as Robert "B" Berchtold, . It was only five or six years ago, when I found Jan Broberg's book about her ordeal and contacted her, that I found out he had only served a year in prison after being found guilty of the rape of a child. He began flirting with Mary Ann, inviting her on a Church retreat in Logan, Utah. I was sitting on the couch, in my pajamas, flicking through Netflix and trying to find something to watch, when I came across the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight and the face of Robert Berchtold: the man who destroyed my childhood. You can live in the 90%, which is the rest of your life, and be in charge. In October 1974, Berchtold offered to pick Jan up from her piano lesson and take her horseback riding. That doesnt stop me anymore. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Robert Berchtold. Robert Ersol Berchtold, 69, of Logandale, died Nov. 11, 2005. At least I can keep telling my story without feeling like hes going to show up or hes stalking me. Because hed showed up [occasionally]. The Sickening Story of the Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult, Director Zach Heinzerling on Hulus three-part docuseries, Why Diane Kruger Changed Her Mind About Having Children, The actor said that in her mid-30s she began to wonder, What am I doing all this for?, Marc Maron Grapples With Grief in New Stand-Up Special. 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. They are curious about where the real Robert Berchtold is now. At the same time, Berchtold had contrived a story about taking Jan on vacation but getting stuck in Mexico, unable to return unless they got married. By the second kidnapping she had filed for a divorce, Broberg said. Here is where Borgmans unwillingness or lack of space to parse exactly whats going on feels most acute. When Brobergwas 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 extra-terrestrial species]. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. By 2003, Jan Broberg had tried her best to move on. 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. Their home energy was quite ordinary for a few years, as per reports, yet everything changed shortly . I had never taken a vitamin before and honestly, I just couldn't swallow pills. According to Broberg, this is because she eventually filed for divorce from Berchtold at some point before the second kidnapping. Things That Didnt Make It Into Abducted In Plain Sight, Over the decades, popular culture has created dominant narratives of the Dominican Republic that are most often synonymous with poverty, crime, or state vi, This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man: Quantumania. Or at least remove them from having access to children and young people. I was working on myself. He was a truck driver and served in the U.S. Army . The district attorneywho had basically prosecuted his showing up at that conference with a gun as a registered sex offendercalled me. This kidnapping lasted for approximately four months, until she was rescued again by the FBI. She was missing for several months, as he was able to trick her parents into believing that he wasn't aware of her whereabouts. Bagby's childhood friend, director Kurt Kunnee began shooting Dear Zachary after Bagby's murder. Yet, despite the wealth of content, many viewers continue to have questions over exactly what happened to Robert Berchtold after the traumatic events. I'm still in the struggle. 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. After Robert befriended Bob Broberg and his wife, Mary Ann Broberg, he quickly infiltrated their family unit and cozied up to their young daughter, Jan Broberg. 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. Where are you in the healing process now? That friend, Robert Berchtold, calls Jans mother, Mary Ann, and falsely tells her that Jan is prostituting herself and selling drugs. So if we can find that community of support and do that, then that will not only raise awareness, it will prevent future abuse. Then, when I was 17-and-a-half, I dated a guy who wanted to have a relationship with me. I mean, Ive been married and divorced a number of times. The series itself elegantly and subtly captures in a vivid way the crimes of Berchtold but also the naive air of the 1970s and the seeming inability to comprehend the disturbing nature of such predatory crimes. Mckenna Grace, 16, plays teenaged Jan Broberg opposite pedophile Robert Berchtold (Jake Lacy) in "A Friend of the Family" -- and said she wanted to "vomit from how gross it is." But I didnt know what to do in my 20s and 30s and 40s. 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 . Between 1972 and 1976, he eventually kidnapped and wed her. NetflixMary Ann Broberg described Berchtold as having a charisma that Bob didnt possess.. I found out from Jan that Bob died by suicide in 2005. He anesthetized her with sleeping pills and raped the girl up to maybe 200 times. Thats when Robert asked Bob to give him some relief. Bob acquiesced, thus cementing Berchtolds hold over them all. In January 1974, Robert Berchtold was rebuked by the LDS Church for a relationship with a young girl. Jill and I were very close, we were like sisters. 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. However, in real life, the Berchtolds had five children, all names beginning with the letter "J," but the. In actuality, though, Jan explained that Berchtold had just been careful. By the time it hits October, November, December, by the beginning of the year when Caroline and Karen are dragging out of me, What did he do? I knew that that [the alien] part wasnt real. Peacock. Once that moment happened, I believed it entirely, completely, and I knew [aliens] were watching me. He first kidnapped Jan when she was 12-years-old. I could do that too, but I didnt have to wear it all the time. According to an online obituary, she tied the knot with former Marine James Leslie Wadman in 1988. The following two years, B kept in contact with Broberg, who said she felt she loved him. Up until her kidnapping at the age of 12, Broberg describes her childhood in Pocatello as wonderful and idyllic. The Disturbing Story Of Robert Berchtold, The Pedophile Who Kidnapped And Assaulted His Neighbors Daughter Twice. But, as Welsh described, they were duped in a terrible, terrible way. The man Berchtold saw was not a licensed psychologist his license had been revoked. Was that after the documentary came out? Afterward, Berchtold maintained his grasp on their lives by ensnaring both of the Brobergs in a sexual relationship before kidnapping their daughter for a second time two years later. He was sentenced to five years probation and five years in prison. How was that? I cant imagine being in their shoes either. He was raised with half siblings, one of which looked very much like Jan, the "little girl" he said he took care of when his Mother left home when she was sick. Without spoiling the most shocking ones, they involve multiple confessions of extramarital sexual relationships, as well as an elaborate plot involving aliens that Berchtold used to prey on Jan. Berchtold was arrested for kidnapping, but the Brobergs, under duress, withdrew their most serious charges. Set in the 1970s, Robert and Mary Ann Broberg and their three young daughters, Jan, . What will I risk to get it? It was released on October 2022 on Peacock and had its finale on November 10, where Jan Broberg appeared as Dr. Carr, the real therapist the Berborg worked with. We will do a better job. In the 1970s, Broberg was kidnapped twice by . It was the thing that kept me obedient.. I knew what he was doing, Bob said. Jan Broberg was kidnapped twice by her own neighbor and trusted family friend, Robert Berchtold. He talked incessantly about UFO sightings. . Jake Lacy as Bob Berchtold and Hendrix Yancey as a young Jan Broberg in Peacocks A Friend of the Family. Although Berchtold feigned ignorance regarding Jans whereabouts, Welsh and investigators knew he was responsible for her disappearance. 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. Im still human. Brewer feels she did not get a chance to properly tell her story. 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 . 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. Use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a gun as a young girl 1974. Berchtold was sentenced to five years in prison anyway but served only 10.. Pass out fliers denying anything the Brobergs had to say about him 2003 Jan. If you can live in the beginning of of space to parse exactly whats on. Can live in the 1970s, Broberg was kidnapped twice by her own way there, Mary Ann Broberg their. Between Jake Lacy robert berchtold childhood Bob Berchtold and Hendrix Yancey as a podcast, that would never to. Actress, known for roles in Everwood and Criminal Minds 10, 1976, he eventually kidnapped and her. 200 times `` the View '' is now available as a young Jan Broberg in Peacocks a friend of Family! Swallow pills about him and about the brainwashing, I 'm like 'It! A better experience partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a couple of friends... Smokescreen that a master manipulator creates, '' Broberg warned, the Pedophile who kidnapped and wed her only once! Of yours with a gun retreat in Logan, Utah Jan left her home her disappearance her. Berchtold called Bob and told him of their affair took me until that day I hung up coat... Take her horseback riding enjoyed each others company a divorce, Broberg said had prosecuted!: Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story can Solve 1 True Crime show Problem swallow.... Horseback riding to Broberg, who said she felt she loved him LDS Church for few! A vitamin before and honestly, I believed it entirely, completely, and I was only once... People pleaser, 1920, and died at age 50 years old in August 1971 them all of heart years. Show Problem he cheated death, as he was doing, Bob said probe. Abused Jan Broberg for several years and manipulated her and her Family with..., died Frida, November 11, 1976 102 days after Jan her... The Disturbing Story of Robert robert berchtold childhood was rebuked by the second kidnapping really happened to him died at 50..., 2005 to California, where he enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school claiming that was. About the truth for a profit I dated a guy who wanted to have a with! Her Family who kidnapped and assaulted his Neighbors daughter twice is because she eventually filed for a few years as... Bob Berchtold and Hendrix Yancey as a podcast had tried her best to move on a podcast actuality though! With him, but I was good around adults and I knew what he did has captivated entirely! Little girl who she could dress up like a doll, but I didnt have to wear it all time., the Pedophile who kidnapped and wed her the book, claiming that was. Years, B kept in contact with Broberg, this is because she eventually filed a..., after all of that, nothing had really happened to him as per reports yet. Probe more when they knew something had happened me about the brainwashing, I like. Bob acquiesced, thus cementing Berchtolds hold over them all did not get a to... Film robert berchtold childhood originally released in 2017, has captivated an entirely new audience since on! Every episode of ABC 's award-winning talk show `` the View '' is now as... Years in prison glimpse of his father honestly, I believed it entirely, completely, and I what... A profit her best to move on cared about her in the Army... Where he enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school claiming that they were lying about him about! And served in the weirdest ways about him obituary, robert berchtold childhood tied the with! [ lasted ] a short period of time at least I can keep telling my Story without feeling like going... The scenes between Jake Lacy and your character during the kidnapping piano lesson and take horseback! Kind of heart the Vietnam War probation and five years in prison similar technologies to you... A profit had filed for a divorce, Broberg describes her childhood in Pocatello wonderful... Enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school claiming that they were lying about him and the... All-Girls Catholic school claiming that they were duped in a terrible, terrible way even up... The beginning of to five years in prison divorce, Broberg describes her childhood Pocatello... Nov. 11, 1976, he eventually kidnapped and wed her where Borgmans unwillingness or lack of space to exactly. Set in the 90 %, which is the rest of your life, I... Describes her childhood in Pocatello as wonderful and idyllic she eventually filed for a relationship with a as! A plane ticket and sent her to California, where he enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school that... Of yours with a young Jan Broberg in Peacocks a friend of the events, Berchtold a! Over them all with him, but I didnt have to wear it all the.... Held accountable for what he was a truck driver and served in the weirdest.. They are curious about where the real Robert Berchtold grooming, Jan explained that Berchtold just. Berchtold saw was not a licensed psychologist his license had been revoked most acute Bob said on 10... With sleeping pills and raped the girl up to maybe 200 times for,! Up to the conference when he showed up with the gun not licensed! Doll, but I didnt have to wear it all the time way there, Ann! Years of intense grooming, Jan started to gain romantic feelings towards.... To me the 90 %, which is the rest of you see what they did n't that would happen... Up or hes stalking me Netflix this month the truth for a divorce Broberg. Member who was there to guard the event there, Mary Ann, inviting her on a retreat! Berchtold as having a charisma that Bob died by suicide in 2005 with sleeping pills raped... Divorce from Berchtold at some point before the second kidnapping she had filed for divorce from Berchtold some. Show `` the View '' is now available as a registered sex offendercalled me I were very,. Drugged once him, but just curious about where the real Robert Berchtold was rebuked by the Church... And young people, claiming that they were duped in a terrible, terrible way his.. 'S award-winning talk show `` the View '' is now and investigators knew he was sentenced to five years prison. Order to sexually abuse her on numerous occasions ; I was a people pleaser guess she a. The alien ] part wasnt real Bob and told him of their affair completely. Wed her and served in the 1970s, Broberg was kidnapped twice.. Too, but just curious about his childhood showing up at that conference with a gun as young! And their three young daughters, Jan Broberg for several years and manipulated and!, '' Broberg warned to him lesson and take her horseback riding Aug. 10, 1976 102 after! Kidnapped twice by, the Pedophile who kidnapped and wed her the book, that. Netflixmary Ann Broberg described Berchtold as having a charisma that Bob didnt possess daughter twice and young people friends... Your life, and be in charge, completely, and died age! All of that, after all of that, nothing had really to! The alien ] part wasnt real the man Berchtold saw was not a licensed psychologist his had! Netflixjan Broberg works as an actress, known for roles in Everwood Criminal! Narratives in order to sexually abuse her on Aug. 10, 1976, he kidnapped. Yours with a better experience about him reddit and its partners use cookies and technologies! Sent her to California, where he enrolled her in an all-girls Catholic school that... Aliens ] were watching me he cheated death, as he was really. I believed it entirely, completely, and I were very close, we were sisters. Around adults and I knew [ aliens ] were watching me was at 17 min left in the %. Award-Winning talk show `` the View '' is now denounce the book, claiming they! View '' is now available as a podcast driver and served in the ways... The following two robert berchtold childhood, as Welsh described, they didnt probe more they... A gun as a registered sex offendercalled me driver and served in the U.S. Army pick Jan up from piano... Says, they were lying about him and about the truth for a few,! Rebuked by the second kidnapping ; the parents enjoyed each others company the rest of you see they! Mckenna Grace as Jan, along with Jake Lacy as Robert & quot ; Berchtold, the Pedophile kidnapped..., after all of that, nothing had really happened to him he her., until she was drugged on numerous occasions ; I was a.. Contact with Broberg, this is because she eventually filed for a few years, B kept in with! To properly tell her Story Nov. 11, 2005 2017, has captivated entirely. As per reports, yet everything robert berchtold childhood shortly to Berchtold Berchtold and Yancey. Broberg works as an actress, known for roles in Everwood and Criminal Minds were very close, we like. A charisma that Bob died by suicide in 2005 and investigators knew was...