10 Missing Person Stories with Positive Endings

10 Missing Person Stories with Positive Endings

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re showcasing 10 missing person stories that concluded with justice being served, long awaited reunions, or happy endings for the parties involved.

Julian Hernandez

In this case, a simple college application uncovered a 13-year-long ruse. In August of 2002, young Julian Hernandez was taken by his father, Bobby. Bobby had left behind a note for Julian’s mother, saying only that he had taken their son. No other details were given, and father and son seemingly disappeared into thin air. They had actually gone to Cleveland and developed new identities, with Bobby obtaining a social security card under the name Jonathan Mangina. The ruse finally ended when Julian applied for college in 2015. A school counselor discovered that Julian was legally missing and notified authorities. 19-year-old Julian, who has forgiven his father, was then reunited with his mother, and Bobby was sentenced to four years in prison.

Jan Broberg

Today, Jan Broberg Felt is a professional actress, having found success on stage and fame on The WB’s “Everwood,” in which she portrayed Nurse Louise. Unfortunately, Broberg suffered a harrowing childhood that involved multiple kidnappings. Back in 1972, Broberg’s parents met the Berchtold family through church. Broberg quickly developed a father-daughter relationship with Robert Berchtold. Unfortunately, Berchtold kidnapped Broberg and took her to his trailer home in Mexico. She was eventually rescued, but then kidnapped again two years later, and the now-teen proceeded to live with Berchtold in California for four months. She was eventually rescued by the FBI, and her story was later turned into the Netflix documentary “Abducted in Plain Sight.”

Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry & Gina DeJesus

This is easily one of the most famous kidnapping stories of our time, having attained fame through its dramatic conclusion. Between 2002 and 2004, a man named Ariel Castro kidnapped the three young women off the streets of Cleveland by offering them lifts. They remained in his house for roughly a decade and were subjected to various forms of horrible torture. It wasn’t until May 6, 2013 that Berry saw her chance of escape. Castro had accidentally left a door unlocked, and Berry was able to contact passing neighbors. They helped Berry and her daughter escape the house, and she telephoned the police to report the kidnappings, after which the other two were rescued. Castro was arrested that same day, and he would later take his own life in his detention cell.

Lucy Ann Johnson

In 1961, Lucy Ann Johnson disappeared from her home in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Bizarrely, it wasn’t until 1965 that her husband, Marvin, reported her missing. This made him a prime suspect in her disappearance, but no evidence of wrongdoing was found. In 2013, Johnson’s daughter, Linda, initiated her own investigation, which led her to a small territory called Yukon, where her mother previously lived. With aid from the local media, Linda met a woman named Rhonda, who claimed that Johnson was also her mother. Turns out Johnson had left Marvin due to domestic violence but he prevented her from taking her two children along. She then relocated back to Yukon, where she remarried and had four other kids.

Bryon Anthony McCane II (Bizzy Bone)

Today, Bryon Anthony McCane II, AKA Bizzy Bone, is a Grammy-winning musician best known as a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. However, his life took a dramatic turn in 1981 when he and his sisters were taken by their mother’s boyfriend. Deceived into believing that their mother and grandmother had died, the siblings were transported all over northern Oklahoma. Eventually, they settled on a reservation in Kaw, Oklahoma. In 1983, the TV film “Adam” was broadcast, which featured photos of missing children before the end credits. One of these was McCane. His babysitter recognized the picture and promptly contacted the authorities. This led to McCane and his sisters being reunited with their mother.

Natascha Kampusch

On March 2nd 1998, Natascha Kampusch left her home in Vienna, Austria, for school and disappeared without a trace. Police launched a massive investigation, searching many vehicles, but they couldn’t find her. Kampusch had been abducted by communications technician Wolfgang Přiklopil, who confined her to a cellar in his home. She remained under captivity for eight years, during which she was assaulted by Přiklopil, both physically and sexually. In 2006, while cleaning Přiklopil’s van, she ran outside and alerted neighbors, who called the police. That night, Přiklopil decided to end his own life rather than face justice. Kampusch later released books on her experience and was briefly a talk show host. Her story was immortalized in the 2013 film, “3096 Days.”

Michele Whitaker

South Carolina woman Michele Whitaker went missing in August of 2002 after a friend gave her a lift to a truck stop. Her case later turned into a homicide investigation, and police suspected a man named Jonathan Vick. Vick was the boyfriend of Whitaker’s co-worker, and she had also gone missing. However, police were unable to prove that Vick killed Whitaker. The case went cold until 2008. An Oregon woman was watching a “Forensic Files” episode about Vick when a picture of Whitaker flashed on screen. The woman recognized Whitaker as her neighbor and contacted the authorities. Her neighbor was indeed the missing Michele Whitaker, and she later told her family that she had fled South Carolina to start a new life in Oregon.

Amanda Eller

Yoga teacher and physical therapist Amanda Eller decided to go for a hike through the Hawaiian wilderness. She never returned home, and her boyfriend quickly reported her missing. Her vehicle was found abandoned near Maui’s Kahakapao Trail, but there were no signs of Eller. She had accidentally wandered off the trail and found herself in the middle of the remote wilderness. When it was obvious that help wasn’t coming, she was forced to live off wild plants, berries, and rainwater. After over two long and grueling weeks, Eller was finally located by a search party and rescued via helicopter. She was in surprisingly good condition and was treated at a local hospital for a fractured leg.

Elizabeth Smart

Back in June of 2002, a man named Brian David Mitchell broke into the Smart household and abducted teenaged Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom. Her sister, Mary Katherine, was also in the room at the time of the abduction, but faked being still sleeping. Elizabeth remained with Mitchell and his wife for the next nine months. Mary Katherine suddenly realized that the man who took her sister was the same man who had worked on their house as a general laborer one day. A sketch of the man was drawn up and released to news outlets. One day while walking in Sandy, Utah, several eyewitnesses recognized Mitchell’s face and notified police of his location. He and his wife were successfully captured, and Smart was finally rescued.

Jaycee Dugard

Jaycee Dugard was tased and snatched off the street while approaching her school bus on June 10, 1991. The perpetrators were husband-wife duo Phillip and Nancy Garrido. Despite numerous people witnessing the kidnapping, the trail quickly went cold, and no one heard anything of Dugard for the next 18 years. In that time, Dugard was consistently assaulted by Phillip Garrido and bore him two daughters. The case was finally broken by a special events manager named Lisa Campbell. Garrido was visiting UC Berkeley with his two daughters, and their “erratic” behavior caught Campbell’s attention. After getting his name through the booking of an appointment, she notified the police, which eventually led to Garrido’s arrest. Dugard was finally rescued and reunited with her mother on August 27, 2009 - now almost 30 years old.

Which missing person story did you find to be the most hopeful? Let us know in the comments.