For viewers watching at home, though, judging the Brobergs is easier, even if its hard to ever feel fully informed, or to believe that the family knew what they were getting into by airing everything so publicly. He hoped to give Zachary a glimpse of his father. Berchtold said he was listening to a series of tapes meant to help curb his desire, but also claimed that he would need to spend more time with Jan to help him get over his obsession. I was on set. I remember waking up in the morning and not feeling well at all. The disturbing Netlifx documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight details Berchtold abducting Broberg when she was 12 years old. Robert Ersol "Bob" Berchtold . Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family who has turned serial child abductor, kidnaps Jan Broberg, age twelve, in 1974. Much of the outrage targets Jans parents, who participated fully in the documentary, and whose behavior in response to Berchtolds prolonged abuse of their daughter strikes many viewers as shockingly inadequate at best. "When people ask me about the brainwashing, I'm like, 'It took 10 seconds.' They didnt forgive him. Although he ruined Jans childhood, Berchtold never fully paid for his vile crimes against Jan Broberg in prison. 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. The result is a documentary that exposes them for public scrutiny without pausing to really interrogate their actions. Warning: Contains SPOILERS for A Friend of the Family. According to Newsweek, Jan Broberg grew up to become an actress and an advocate for victims of childhood sexual abuse. My little sisters not missing. Berchtold was sentenced to five years in prison anyway but served only 10 days. "Everybody loved him.". So I didn't feel wanted. By 2003, Jan Broberg had tried her best to move on. [They made it] look like my childhood home. That doesnt stop me anymore. This info was at 17 min left in the doc. But I know the abuse impacted my relationships. I cant imagine being in their shoes either. Robert Berchtold's childhood The documentary only slightly went into "B's" past. I said, Did you do some deep dive on my dad that I dont even know about? Hes like, No. My father called the sheriffs department that same night when we didnt show up, she said. He abducts her again in 1976, after she has . 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. And if youre not happy and you need medication or you need more talk therapyyou should get what you need so you can heal. But a lot of people just didnt.. The new Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight is a bewildering account of one girls kidnapping by a family friend. Where are you in the healing process now? 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. And the sad thing is, unfortunately, you're getting attention from somebody. Pete Welsh, the lead FBI agent investigating Jans disappearance, had to drill that into our minds, Mary Ann explains in an interview. 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. Faith leaders knew. Susan called him and said, Your father said that youre his attorney. He said, I would never represent my father. Thats why, she says, they didnt probe more when they knew something had happened. He took us to science-fiction movies. 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. 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 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. 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. Their childhood was . I was 9 years old when I first met Bob in 1978. I got to have meetings with the art department, the costume departmentI went to the location of the home they found. It almost feels like this huge burden is lifted off my shoulders by having the story told right. Im so glad youve found relief. I wanted this for a long timeto tell the story in a way that would affect the most change and the most understanding so that people could avoid this happening in their own life or help any traumatized young person get to a healthy, happy place. Not trying to sympathize with him, but just curious about his childhood. It was an interesting thing. Oh. Jan had two younger. If they didnt, she said, then everyone would know about Bob and Roberts sexual exchange. It was sad that I didnt know some of the things that I know now. He first kidnapped Jan when she was 12-years-old. Thats when Robert asked Bob to give him some relief. Bob acquiesced, thus cementing Berchtolds hold over them all. That womans two daughters had been raped and molested [by him], and they ran away from home. 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. You have to have this baby by your 16th birthday. All of that brainwashingI knew that wasnt real when I [later interacted with boys] and had that moment of going, Okay, I havent been vaporized. He convinced Bob and Mary Ann that his subsequent treatment by a psychologist involved spending multiple nights in bed with Jan. Neither one of us was comfortable with him doing it, Mary Ann says, but it was his therapy., The parental behavior that Mary Ann and Bob freely confess to in Abducted in Plain Sight is so bewilderingly naive that the more salacious and peculiar events Borgman goes on to lay out are almost hard to grasp. Berchtold didnt stop tracking you over the years. Taylor Swifts opening act on her debut album, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka. Between 1972 and 1976, he eventually kidnapped and wed her. Which is how those next four years, as you see in the series, unfold, because I really did think [the aliens] would take [my sister] if I didnt do the mission. What will I risk to get it? Was that after the documentary came out? She doesnt recall violent rape but said, I would just look at the leaves If you just look at the leaves, itll be okay.. I actually got this little message [from a woman who was] the little girl he abused right after me. If Jan wasnt pregnant and Susan refused to take Jans place, she was going to shoot Susan and then herself. Not. But he kept pushing it until I finally explained to him that I couldn't swallow it, so he crushed it up and mixed it in some sugar and gave it to me. I think I realized from the friends that I had at the timeyou could just tell that their relationship with their father figureswas different to mine. B took a particular interest in 12-year-old Jan as well, often showering her with gifts and inviting her on trips. Be the creator of your life. Jan returned home, but only briefly. The fascination with potential alien life intersecting with life on Earth was popular in the early 1970s. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Filmmaker Skye Borgman on the unbelievable twists and turns of the Jan Broberg kidnapping case, and the pieces of the story that didnt make it into her documentary, on Netflix. You have a cameo in the final episode. The next time I stayed at his apartment was the first time I didn't get my "vitamin," so I was conscious during the assault. On Aug. 10, 1976, she disappeared again. He is survived by his wife, Deanna; sons, Jerry, James, Joseph, This all culminated in Berchtolds first abduction of Jan Broberg in 1974. Berchtold, who was now living in Salt Lake City, Utah, had enrolled Jan at an all-girls Catholic school in Pasadena, California. By the time I was 14 or 15, it got to the point where Bob would just take what he wantedit didn't matter whether you were willing or not. He never brought her home. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. B took the Broberg children and his own to science-fiction films in the two years prior to kidnapping Jan Broberg. 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. Robert Berchtold sexually abused Jan Broberg for several years and manipulated her and her family. 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. I never go anywhere [for a speaking engagement] where it didnt happen to somebody in that room or to somebody close to them in that room. How many of Berchtolds alleged victims did you hear from? Manipulation and grooming are not understood by so many. I was making great strides in my life and my career and my familyall the things that I am so grateful for. Thank you for taking the time to have this conversation. I know that theyve been invited to share their side [of the story], including his ex-wife, but theyve never wanted to talk to anybody. It felt like we were meeting dad. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. After the war, he returned to Utah, got married, had children, and settled in the small town of Pocatello, Idaho, where he ran a furniture store. He brainwashed her with false narratives in order to sexually abuse her. Heidi Brewer met Broberg while filming this documentary. 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. The details that follow spiral quickly from strange to appalling. Set in the 1970s, Robert and Mary Ann Broberg and their three young daughters, Jan, . 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. I found my mother's cold reaction to be just what I expected from her. Heidi Brewer on the documentary, A Friend of the Family: True Evil. The following two years, B kept in contact with Broberg, who said she felt she loved him. 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. 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. But I didnt know what was missing in the conversation. Who is Robert Berchtold's Family? Robert Ersol Berchtold, 69, of Logandale, died Nov. 11, 2005. Berchtold vehemently tried to denounce the book, claiming that they were lying about him and about the truth for a profit. He turned sideways and you could almost see him reaching back to start a tape recorder. Im certain its because each of those relationships helped me on my path to healing, but they werent permanent. These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat, 26 Movies Every Woman Should See At Least Once. According to his obituary: "Robert Ersol Berchtold, 69, of Logandale, died Nov. 11, 2005. Berchtold was born on February 7, 1936 in Tremonton, Utah. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. She also reveals how she managed to shake Bs grooming, what happened to B in later years, and whether her family has heard from any of the other Berchtolds since. I think that's the sick thing, when you come from a family that walks past and ignores you; it's attention, good or bad. 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. I told my husband about what happened but he doesn't want to know the details. 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. She was missing for several months, as he was able to trick her parents into believing that he wasn't aware of her whereabouts. He found me at college. Robert Ersol Berchtold, 69, of Logandale, died Nov. 11, 2005. What happened to the Berchtold children? It is made up of one wild story after another about 12-year-old Jan Broberg who went missing when a family friend, Robert "B" Berchtold, abducted her one sunny afternoon in 1974. My dad isnt dead. I was good around adults and I was a people pleaser. Broberg was missing for roughly a month during the first kidnapping, during which she was sexually assaulted by B. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. 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." When I moved back to Texas, I got a job and I moved on. Over the course of the next six months, Berchtold slept in Jans bed roughly four times a week. Truth is, you don't really want to know what happens to Robert Berchtold after the events of the series. In August 1976, Berchtold convinced Jan to leave her home and come with him, creating the second kidnapping. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. Its something that happened to them or someone close to themthey had been groomed or conned or manipulated, and could relate. He got very angry. Kidnap victim Jan Broberg, the subject of Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, said she was groomed by her kidnapper to believe UFOs and extra-terrestrial life were a plausible possibility. And how will I manipulate everybody in the room [while trying to get it]?. I was so involved and so consulted and so cared for. Without the Brobergs as witnesses, the court had no way of proving Berchtold was guilty of anything. I mean, he just never really stopped. 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. 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 . I really believed it. When I would ask Bob about these differences, including why I couldn't have friends over or spend time away from home, he would get angry. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In one, her underwear is clearly visible. . On October 17th, 1974, 12 year old Jan Broberg was kidnapped by her next door neighbor & parents' best friend. I can't imagine how many girls there were before Jan, between Jan and I, and how many came after me. I found out from Jan that Bob died by suicide in 2005. Or at least remove them from having access to children and young people. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Was your deprogramming gradual over the years, or was there one turning point in your life where everything clicked? We will do a better job. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. All views expressed in this article are the author's own. Robert Berchtold is an abuser who groomed the Broberg family in order to become close to their 12-year-old daughter Jan. When I woke up and that voice was therepeople often say, How long did it take for you to be brainwashed to believe that [aliens had kidnapped you]. I said, 10 secondswhen I [first] heard the voice [in the RV]. 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