Where Is Jan Broberg Now? Inside Her Life 51 Years After Robert Berchtold Kidnapped Her for the First Time

It's been 51 years since Jan Broberg was first kidnapped by Robert Berchtold, a man she considered to beryllium a "second father."

Jan was missing for weeks, and though she was yet recovered successful Mexico, Berchtold managed to abduct her a 2nd time. Decades later, her communicative was nan taxable of a Netflix documentary and a Peacock miniseries, some of which chronicled really they connected.

Back successful nan early 1970s, Jan’s parents, Mary Ann and Bob Broberg, met Berchtold and his family while attending religion successful nan mini municipality of Pocatello, Idaho. The 2 families became close, and Jan came to deliberation of Berchtold arsenic a begetter fig — but he had ulterior motives.

Over nan people of respective years, Berchtold group his sights connected Jan, going arsenic acold arsenic having abstracted affairs pinch her parents to support her wrong reach. On Oct. 17, 1974, Berchtold took 12-year-old Jan nether mendacious pretenses and held her captive successful this RV, convincing her that aliens had fixed them a mission: to person a kid together and prevention nan planet.

Soon after, Berchtold drove Jan down to Mexico, wherever they wed. While Berchtold was later charged pinch kidnapping, he continued to manipulate Jan and her parents. She still believed nan alien ngo was real, and Berchtold kidnapped her a 2nd clip connected Aug. 10, 1976, to complete it.

In nan end, nan 2 were found, and Berchtold was sentenced to clip successful a intelligence facility, but it wasn't nan past clip their lives crossed paths.

So what happened to Jan Broberg? Here’s everything to cognize astir her kidnapping and wherever she is now.

Who was Jan Broberg’s kidnapper Robert Berchtold?

Berchtold, a hubby and begetter of five, met nan Brobergs successful June 1972 erstwhile he began attending nan aforesaid religion successful Pocatello, according to nan 2017 Netflix documentary Abducted successful Plain Sight. The Broberg family was progressive successful nan religion arsenic devout members of nan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they invited Berchtold and his family into their home.

Over nan adjacent fewer months, nan 2 families spent clip together, pinch Berchtold earning nan nickname “B.” In nan documentary, Jan revealed that she considered him a “second father,” sharing that she initially felt safe pinch him. He made it a regular to sojourn each nighttime to talk and play games.

“Everybody had a champion friend. Between nan Brobergs and nan Berchtold family, location was a champion friend for everyone. We had immoderate of our champion family times erstwhile we were pinch nan Berchtold family,” Jan said.

What happened successful nan clip starring up to Jan Broberg’s first kidnapping?

After their first brushwood successful church, Berchtold gained nan spot of Mary Ann and Bob to get to Jan. From nan beginning, nan mates noticed Berchtold had a “fascination” pinch Jan, but he managed to distract them pinch his charm — moreover starting abstracted romanticist affairs pinch them, according to Abducted successful Plain Sight.

In doing so, Berchtold was capable to walk expanding clip pinch Jan, moreover giving her a occupation astatine his furnishings store. She besides accompanied nan Berchtold family connected a travel to Seattle successful June 1973. During an quality connected nan Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and nan Abuse of Power podcast, she recalled Berchtold convincing her parents for support and her excitement erstwhile they yet agreed because she had a crush connected his oldest boy Jerry — but nan sojourn took a turn.

One night, while they were retired to dinner, Jan appeared unwell, swaying successful her spot while speaking incoherently, she recounted successful Abducted successful Plain Sight. Berchtold took her backmost to their motel, wherever she drifted successful and retired of consciousness. Afterward, she only remembered waking up and seeing him without clothes.

Then, successful January 1974, Berchtold was reprimanded by nan High Counsel of nan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aft they uncovered his narration pinch different young girl. He checked himself into a curen halfway successful California, and erstwhile he returned, he explained to Mary Ann and Bob that his issues stemmed from being sexually assaulted by an aunt arsenic a child, per nan Netflix documentary.

He told nan mates that a portion of his therapy to flooded his trauma was to beryllium astir a kid who was nan aforesaid property arsenic his abuser while listening to therapeutic portion recordings from his scientist — and he moreover encouraged them to telephone his expert for confirmation.

Mary Ann and Bob hesitantly allowed Berchtold to walk clip pinch Jan while she was sleeping. He would laic beside her for 20 minutes each nighttime for astir six months, up until nan evening earlier her kidnapping.

What happened during Jan Broberg’s first kidnapping?

On Oct. 17, 1974, Berchtold invited Jan for a horseback riding lesson. As nan proprietor of a furnishings store, he was heading to a ranch belonging to a customer to return immoderate measurements, she said connected nan Trust Me podcast.

Jan, who had antecedently ridden horses pinch Berchtold and his son, agreed to join, but since it was a schoolhouse night, her begetter said no. When Berchtold later asked Mary Ann instead, she approved arsenic agelong arsenic Jan was backmost earlier dinner.

Berchtold proceeded to prime Jan up from her soft class, and connected nan measurement to nan ranch, he gave her what she believed to beryllium her allergy medication, according to Abducted successful Plain Sight. Instead, it was a sleeping pill, and erstwhile she awoke, she was tied down to a furniture successful nan backmost of an RV.

As she went successful and retired of consciousness, a portion signaling played that told her she was secretly portion of an alien race. The voices told her that nan aliens had been watching her since she was born, and she now had a ngo to thief their dying planet. Jan was instructed that a “male companion” was waiting astatine nan beforehand of nan RV, and she must carnivore a kid pinch him earlier her 16th birthday.

“They said if I didn’t do this, my begetter and I would beryllium killed, my sister Karen would spell unsighted and my sister Susan would beryllium kidnapped and return my spot arsenic nan ‘female companion.’ The only point I was reasoning astir was protecting my family,” she told nan Idaho State Journal.

Isolated and afraid, Jan believed nan story. As she approached nan beforehand of nan RV, she discovered Berchtold, who had orchestrated a segment to look wounded and unconscious. When Jan "woke" him, he told her they had been driving erstwhile he saw a achromatic flash of light, and nan car started shaking.

Over nan adjacent respective weeks, Berchtold drove nan RV toward Mexico, during which he began sexually assaulting Jan nether nan guise that they were trying to complete nan ngo fixed to them by nan aliens. When they arrived successful Mazatlan, Mexico, nan brace sewage married, arsenic kid matrimony was ineligible location astatine nan time.

Why didn’t Mary Ann and Bob Broberg interaction authorities correct away?

When Jan and Berchtold didn’t return location connected nan nighttime of nan horseback riding lessons, Mary Ann and Bob grew concerned.

That evening, Berchtold’s wife, Gail, came complete and tried to reassure nan mates that they would travel backmost soon, according to Abducted successful Plain Sight. Mary Ann suggested calling nan police, but Gail told her to wait. Since Mary Ann and Bob didn’t judge Berchtold would harm their girl and didn't want to upset Gail, they held disconnected connected calling nan police.

Two days later, Jan and Berchtold still hadn’t returned, truthful Mary Ann called nan FBI. Unfortunately, nan agency was closed for nan weekend, and different time passed earlier Mary Ann dialed a different number. Upon receiving nan message, FBI agents instantly headed to nan Broberg’s home, opening a nationwide hunt for nan small girl.

Weeks went by pinch nary motion of Jan aliases Berchtold. On time 35 of Jan’s abduction, Berchtold called his relative Joe and told him that he wanted to travel home, but he needed to first person Mary Ann to springiness her parental consent for his matrimony to Jan, arsenic it was not ineligible successful nan United States, per Abducted successful Plain Sight.

Joe approached Mary Ann, who denied Berchtold’s petition and informed nan FBI. Joe’s telephone was tapped, and nan adjacent clip Berchtold called, they traced it backmost to a edifice successful Mexico. Berchtold was past arrested by Mexican police, but earlier Jan’s parents arrived, he bribed a situation defender to fto him spot her again.

Berchtold told her that nan aliens had visited him, who had warned them not to mention their ngo to anyone. If she disobeyed, her sister Karen would spell blind, her begetter would beryllium killed, and her sister Susan would beryllium taken, and she would beryllium “vaporized.” Berchtold convinced Jan to show her parents he had taken her connected picnic and believed they had parental consent.

Was Robert Berchtold charged pinch kidnapping?

After Mary Ann and Bob arrived successful Mexico, they flew backmost to nan U.S. pinch Jan but noticed thing was different astir her. Soon after, they issued a petition to Mexican authorities for nan matrimony betwixt Jan and Berchtold to beryllium annulled. Jan was besides taken to a expert for an examination, who incorrectly concluded that she hadn't been sexually abused, according to Abducted successful Plain Sight.

Although she returned to school, she says she was concerned astir really she would proceed nan ngo pinch Berchtold. In addition, nan FBI warned nan Brobergs against spending clip pinch nan Berchtold family, but they ignored nan advice.

Meanwhile, Berchtold was taken backmost to nan U.S., wherever he appeared earlier a expansive jury. He was indicted connected kidnapping charges. While reflecting connected nan business successful Abducted successful Plain Sight, Mary Ann says Gail came complete connected Christmas Eve of 1974 and threatened to expose Bob’s matter pinch Berchtold if nan charges weren't dismissed.

“I was rather shocked. I felt terrible, particularly for my husband," Mary Ann recalled. "I conscionable thought, ‘Oh, no. That can’t happen.’ So we signed nan affidavits.”

In nan affidavits, Mary Ann and Bob stated that Jan hadn't been taken by unit and wasn't confined against her will and that Berchtold believed he had their consent to time off pinch her. When nan affidavits were presented successful court, a national judge overruled nan petition to driblet nan charges. Mary Ann and Bob yet withdrew their affidavits, per nan Trust Me podcast.

Despite nan proceedings being delayed nan proceedings was delayed, Berchtold pleaded blameworthy to a felony complaint of kidnapping successful June 1976. He was sentenced to 5 years successful jail, which was reduced to 45 days. After receiving in installments for his clip down bars successful Mexico and bully behavior, he only spent astir 10 days successful jail.

How was Robert Berchtold capable to abduct Jan Broberg for a 2nd time?

After Berchtold returned from Mexico, he was released from jailhouse while his proceedings was delayed. He moved to Utah to activity astatine his brother’s car dealership but returned to Idaho each weekend. During that time, he secretly began seeing Jan, visiting her successful nan mediate of nan nighttime and telling her of his connection pinch nan aliens.

“He came successful and he would talk astir nan ngo and that nan ngo was going to continue, and that they were making plans and preparations for america to beryllium together, and conscionable to support doing what I was doing, and to support pursuing nan rules,” she recounted successful Abducted successful Plain Sight.

Jan began receiving emotion letters from Berchtold and willingly wrote back. She moreover confessed her feelings to her mother, telling Mary Ann that she wanted to wed Berchtold and person children pinch him.

“I loved him arsenic profoundly arsenic I've ever loved anyone. My level of committedness and emotion for him was arsenic profound arsenic thing that I person ever knowledgeable successful nan realm of existent love," Jan shared. "But it was profound, it was committed, it was successful maine successful each consciousness of nan word."

During that time, astir nan outpouring of 1975, Berchtold besides continued communicating pinch Mary Ann, and they restarted their affair. After Bob recovered out, they almost divided but yet realized that Berchtold was ruining their lives and that they needed to trim him out.

Fast forward, successful nan summertime of 1976, Berchtold bought an amusement parkland successful Jackson Hole, Wyo., while waiting to study to jail. Berchtold convinced Jan's parents to fto her visit, and moreover though she returned aft 2 weeks, she was unhappy. He besides many times called Mary Ann and told her he was going to kidnap her again.

“‘I’ll return her to nan jungles of Africa. I’ll return her to South America. You’ll ne'er find us,' ” Mary Ann recalled successful Abducted successful Plain Sight. “I said, ‘Leave maine alone. Leave my children alone. Stay retired of our lives forever.’ And he did not for illustration that, because he didn’t time off Jan alone. And nan consequence was her disappearance a 2nd time.”

What happened during Jan Broberg’s 2nd kidnapping?

On Aug. 10, 1976, Jan vanished successful nan mediate of nan night, leaving down a statement to her family, per Abducted successful Plain Sight. In it, she declared she was moving distant without Berchtold until her family allowed her to unrecorded her truth. While she claimed to beryllium leaving connected her ain accord, it was later discovered that Berchtold had aided successful her disappearance.

In nan pursuing days, Berchtold contacted nan family, telling them Jan had contacted him to fto him cognize she had tally away. Despite being progressively concerned, nan Brobergs waited astir 2 weeks to interaction authorities, fearful of nan public’s guidance to a 2nd disappearance. Though Berchtold pretended to beryllium concerned, FBI agents knew he was involved.

Three weeks into Jan’s disappearance, Berchtold began his jailhouse sentence. He only served 10 days down bars, and upon his release, he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. He kept successful interaction pinch nan Brobergs while nan hunt continued. In reality, Berchtold had enrolled her successful a Catholic girl's boarding schoolhouse successful Pasadena, Calif., earlier he began his jailhouse sentence.

Three months aft Jan’s disappearance, authorities yet recovered Berchtold. After monitoring him for respective weeks, they discovered that he near nan directory unfastened to a page pinch a number scribbled connected it aft making a telephone successful a telephone booth. They traced nan number backmost to nan boarding schoolhouse and realized Jan was enrolled nether an alias.

Berchtold had told nan nuns that Jan was his girl and he was a CIA supplier who had escaped from Lebanon during nan Lebanese Civil War. After moving to Utah, Berchtold would sojourn her connected nan weekends.

Jan was removed from nan school, and Berchtold was arrested nan adjacent time for national parole violation.

What happened to Jan Broberg aft nan 2nd kidnapping?

After nan 2nd kidnapping, Jan struggled to assimilate to life astatine home, and her family says she grew "distant" and "hollow." When her father’s florist shop burned down, she believed it was a reward because she hadn’t yet completed nan mission.

Jan continued to speak pinch Berchtold occasionally, but looking back, she says he began to “lose interest” arsenic she sewage older.

By 1978, Jan began questioning nan truth down nan alien story. While astatine a summertime campy successful Utah, a boy her property began to show romanticist liking successful her, and she feared that nan aliens would return revenge because it was not a portion of nan assignment.

When thing bad happened, she says she had her first thoughts that nan full point mightiness person been a lie.

Ahead of her 16th birthday, Jan said she was still acrophobic that her family would beryllium punished for not fulfilling her duties. She moreover considered sidesplitting herself and her sister Susan successful a worst-case scenario.

When Jan woke up connected her day and saw that everyone was okay, she realized nan aliens hadn’t been real. Jan yet told her sister and champion friend, who encouraged her to show her parents.

What happened to Robert Berchtold?

Following nan 2nd kidnapping, Berchtold faced respective criminal charges, including first-degree kidnapping and impersonating a cardinal intelligence agent. Welsh besides revealed connected Abducted successful Plain Sight that it was discovered Berchtold hired 2 men he met successful jailhouse to commencement nan occurrence astatine Bob's flower shop, and he was accused of arson.

Still, he wasn't charged pinch either aft tribunal proceedings. Berchtold was later acquitted of nan kidnapping charges by logic of intelligence defect. In June 1977, he was sent to a court-ordered intelligence installation and was released a fewer months later.

Throughout his life, Berchtold allegedly sexually assaulted astatine slightest six different children, utilizing “alien psychology” connected 1 of his different victims, according to Abducted successful Plain Sight filmmaker Skye Borgman’s question and reply pinch Vanity Fair. Of those six battle cases, Berchtold was only recovered blameworthy of rape of a kid erstwhile and spent 1 twelvemonth successful jail, Jan told Vulture.

Years aft Jan’s kidnapping, erstwhile she published a book and began speaking astir her experience, Berchtold tracked her down. He started going to her events, telling attendees that it was each a dishonesty and threatening nan Broberg family that if they didn’t get free of nan book, he would make their life "miserable," per nan Netflix documentary. Berchtold began posting flyers astir town, claiming that he had been fixed full entree to Jan successful speech for intersexual favors pinch Mary Ann and Bob.

Jan revenge a stalking injunction, which Berchtold contested. They ended up successful court, wherever Jan had to travel face-to-face pinch Berchtold for nan first clip successful 30 years. She was granted nan stalking injunction for nan remainder of Berchtold’s life.

Despite this, Berchtold showed up astatine a women’s convention wherever Jan was speaking. At nan time, Jan was being protected by a section Bikers Against Child Abuse chapter. After Berchtold began making threats, he fought pinch nan group and ran complete 1 of nan BACA members pinch his car. Berchtold, who had a weapon pinch him, was arrested.

When he returned to court, he was recovered blameworthy of nan discourtesy of possession of a firearm by a restricted personification and aggravated assault. But earlier he could beryllium sentenced successful 2005, he died by suicide.

Where is Jan Broberg now?

After experiencing respective years of traumatic events, Jan was capable to return to a somewhat normal life and decorativeness school. In bid to move on, she forgave Berchtold, though it took time.

“Forgiveness is simply a tricky word. In my mind, not forgiving personification only puts up nan jailhouse compartment benignant of astir you. I figured retired that I tin unrecorded pinch my calamity successful a measurement that nan calamity doesn't tally maine anymore,” Jan said successful Abducted successful Plain Sight.

In nan early ’90s, Jan began an acting profession and has gone connected to look successful films and connected shows for illustration Everwood, Criminal Minds and 40, per her IMDb. She besides worked astatine Disney World arsenic a performer for a time, according to nan Trust Me podcast. While she still auditions for various projects, she keeps engaged moving a theatre institution successful Utah.

According to Vanity Fair, Jan besides sewage joined and welcomed a boy but later divorced.

Jan has chronicled her acquisition successful nan documentary Abducted successful Plain Sight arsenic good arsenic nan scripted mini series, A Friend of nan Family, which she produced, and nan documentary, A Friend of nan Family: True Evil.

Away from cameras, she makes speaking appearances successful nan hopes of preventing nan aforesaid point from happening to different children. She besides started The Jan Broberg Foundation to support different big survivors of puerility intersexual abuse.