A young woman who was held captive by her stepdad for 19 years finally escaped the evil man, after befriending a couple she met a grocery store.
Authorities said Henri Michelle Piette, 63, raped and abused Rosalynn McGinnis, now 34, fathered her nine children and threatened her with violence during the almost 20 years he held her captive.
He kidnapped the young girl in 1997 from her hometown in Oklahoma, US, when she was just 11 or 12 years old. The US Attorney’s Office said Rosalynn’s mum had been in a relationship with Piette.
The Associated Press reported that Piette “took her to a van” and “married” her.
Rosalynn was reportedly forced to change her appearance and use various aliases to keep her true identity concealed.
She told People magazine, at the age of 18, Piette forced her to go to a police station and tell officers that she ran away from home, so they would stop looking for her.
Rosalynn thought she’d be trapped forever, until she met Lisa and Ian at a grocery store in Mexico.
The couple quickly realised Rosalynn needed help.
According to news outlet KSHB, while Piette slept, she fled to Lisa and Ian’s home.
Last year, following a seven-day trial, Piette was found guilty of kidnapping and travelling with intent to engage in a sexual act with a juvenile.
He was sentenced to life in federal prison.
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