TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING, AND DISTURBANCES ARE MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM READING IF THIS MAY TRIGGER YOU IN ANY WAY
During my pastime in the winter break, I spent a lot of my energy indulging in my love for true crime. One of the many things I came across was a Netflix documentary called, “Abducted in Plain Sight” directed by Skye Borgman. It was recommended to me by a friend and I had no idea what I was about to experience. If you have a passion for true crime, I guarantee this case will take you through a roller-coaster. The documentary covers the aspects of a true crime that took place in 1974. A girl by the name of Jan Broberg was abducted from a town in Idaho. However, this was done by a close family friend, Robert Berchtold or commonly called, Bee. The kidnapping took place not once but over two occasions. Sadly, Robert’s goal was to have sexual intercourse with Jan and eventually have a child. The order in which he did this is highly impactful. Robert told Jan’s mother that he was taking her horseback riding for a couple of days. Resultantly, Robert abducted Jan and gave her what he called “allergy pills” however, they were to make her pass-out. When Jan awoke, she was in a room with an audio recording while being tied down. This audio recording mentioned that she was an alien and they had a mission for her to complete. This mission was for Jan to have a baby with Robert by the time she was 16. If she did not complete this mission or told another about it, bad things were to follow. Being the innocent child she was, she believed this. Robert got into her head that she was indeed an alien. Subsequently, Jan had sexual intercourse with Robert multiple times at as young as 12. She was manipulated into a situation she had no control over. This manipulation caused her to fall in love with Robert. She genuinely believed that she and Robert were meant to be and at the age of 12 married Robert in Mexico. This extended their horse-back riding trip, however; her parents did not call the cops after she disappeared. They were naïve and did not want to upset Roberts's wife. Nonetheless, their remissness, caused Jan to go through a journey of pain and exploitation. Jan had to live in fear for several years as if she did not finish the mission, her life, her family’s lives, and the world was at stake. It is insane to think this happened to such a sympathetic child. That someone is able to do something like this right in plain sight. This documentary definitely took me through various waves of emotions. I went from confused to angry to sad all in one film. However, I recommend this documentary to those interested or not in true crime. It will definitely make a mark in your mind and creates a new perspective in your daily life.