I'm parying that the rest of this family's life be joyful. God can do it.

Great interview Anderson. Elizabeth Smart is such a smart young woman and seems so well adjusted. Considering what happened to her on the 9 month abduction she is so well adjusted its amazing – a testament to herself and to her parents and the support they have given her and their unending hope that she was alive and that they kept looking. I'm just so relieved that Jaycee was found alive and I hope this is the first of many children being recovered.

I disagree with the interview of Elizabath she was kidnaped for 9 months not 11 years I think her experience is irrelevant!

I greatly appreciated this interview. Yet, as I watched Elizabeth Smart and her father I found myself wondering if she's undergone a brainwashing of a different sort. Her father's face always bore an expression of anger, though he did let her express herself. Her words seemed stilted and somewhat rehearsed. Viewing the nightlights of the Mormon Tabernacle in the background I had to wonder if she returned home to a situation nearly as restrictive as the one she'd been rescued from.

I hope I'm wrong - I hope that she's been able to grow - spread her wings - become her own person. But I fear that may not be the case.

Interesting interview...but how much insight can we get from the Smarts about Jaycee's 18 years living in a shed?

Although I appreciate the significance of Elizabeth Smart's orderal in conjuction with the young woman abducted at at 11 in 1991, it is, in my opinion, a completely different situation. This now 29-year-old woman endured 18 years of captivity as well as bearing two children by her abductor with complete lack of medical care for her or her two children as well as a complete lack of education for the children involved. We can only imagine the horror of those 18 years. Now can you possibiy equate the two situations? I would sincerely appreciate an explantion.

Personally, thought the interview with Elizabeth Smart and her dad, was a little weird – can't possibly compare the two situations, eighteen years is a little different from nine months, I love Anderson but am really disappointed with this interview- simply inapprioate – why would the Smarts even want to still be so public – very strange.

If Jaycee had other children who died, that makes this felony murder, and the couple would receive a much harsher sentence.

Giving birth to and raising children unattended in a shed might have led to a child's death.

continued positive emotional growth to elizabeth !

Fortunately the campus police office was doing his job.seems the parole offices over the past 18 years had not been doing theirs.i agree we need to ask question s and put ourselves out when something does not appear to be quite right. Instead of just be concerned about our own well being.

There is something strange about these abduction cases, where it seems like the full story is not coming out. Especially in the case of the abductions where they reached well into their adulthood..... It seems like there must be some point when they were no longer trying to escape, and if not – were they really truly glad to go back to a life they had not known for however long they had been away. Not trying to be a skeptic, but there are certainly some details being withheld that keeps these stories from making complete sense.

I am just overwhelmed by this story! I do remember hearing about her
abduction so long ago, but was taken aback by today's events. I am
so pleased that Jaycee has been found and hope and pray that she
and her family can negotiate their way through this horrendous nightmare to a happy and fulfilling life ahead. God bless them!

It is so touching to see the love that Ed Smart has for his daughter. Imagine what a powerful world this would be if every father loved his daughter as Ed loves his.

Elizabeth seems like she has adjusted well. Just a lovely family : )

Elizabeth you are a very strong person by sharing your story with us helps us understand what courage really means.

I appauld Elizabeth Smart for continuing on with her life and becoming a good person. I do think she is a rareity, the effects of what she went through are hugh. Therapy is needed throughout your whole life. Most victims of this sort of crime have a hard time seeing the good in the world. Most also stay in denial as to the serverity of the loss of children, or sense of self.

This is so shocking! She was missing for 18 years, now all of a sudden she is found ok?! It is good that she's safe, but it is also very odd how she was kidnapped, and now 18 years later, she is ok? All I have to say is Strange Story.

Elizabeth Smart is a great example of pulling through a very tough situation in her life and turningit around for good. People like Elizabeth bring hope into this world when we may feel there is none. I am grateful for her bravery and strength and how she has embrassed the goodness of life.

Anderson Cooper is a tool!

I'm wondering if Jaycee at any point, became comfortable with her abducters after being with them for so long. With the suspect saying that it's a heart-felt story. What kind of munipulations were they putting her through. With no one there to talk to, did she take them on as her family maybe? It's amazing what could be going on right next do to you. Didn't the neighbors get suspicious at all.

The transcript and the video barely match at times.

while i understand why cnn and anderson cooper would want to add a layer to the public's understanding of the jaycee story, i find it irresponsible to suggest that what jaycee went through was akin to what elizabeth smart went through. elizabeth smart's abduction was a crime that i am sure she deals with every day, and was horrible – but it was 9 months, not 11 years. she did not bear childrean of her captor, etc. suggesting that the two women could recover from their ordeals in a similar way is ridiculous.

There is a difference between the two cases to be sure. Jaycee was held for 18 years and had two children as a result of rape. Major difference! Why does CNN or any media outlet assume that Elizabeth Smart can answer for Jaycee? I am so thankful that they both have their freedom but 18 years and what? 18 months are worlds apart!

I lived in North Lake Tahoe when Jaycee was kidnapped. I have never forgotten her name and always wondered what happened to her. I cried this morning when I read the news that she was found. Take care Jaycee and I wish you a joyful and peaceful future.

I think Anderson Cooper does an exceptional job of reporting with a sense of compassion and understanding. I was watching this evening as the report on Jaycee Dugard aired. It is a sensational story, and gives a glimmer of hope to other families of missing children. I would just like to suggest that with the millions of watchers CNN has, that it would be a worthy cause to showcase a missing child at the end of each and every show. How many more could we find? A 30 second shot with info after each show could possibly bring many children home.

I think there is a huge difference between the plight of this poor girl and the Smart girl. This girl has been gone a lifetime from her family and gone through an unspeakable horror. Elizabeth was gone for nine months. While Elizabeth's story is interesting, I think she is really not in a position to offer true insight into this tragic event.

You=Love

Thank you Elizabeth for saying "A big thing I tried to stress in the section that I participated in writing was , to set goals for yourself to continually be moving forward, continuing on with your life and not letting this horrible event take over and consume the rest of your life. Because we only have one life and it’s a beautiful world out there and there are so many things to see and learn and grow in. And I would just encourage her to find different passions in life and continually push forward and learn more and reach more for them and not to look behind, because there’s a lot out there." That's the attitude that I have with my personal traumas that I have dealt with. Thank you for sharing this to the world. They need to hear this. I refuse to feel sorry for myself and this kind of positive attitude is what you need to survive this kind of trauma. Instead of being a victim, I'm a surviivor!

I'm not sure how this can compare...Jaycee was so young, bore 2 children, no schooling past 6th grade and is now 29. They will need lots of loving care and counsel.

It is nice to see Elizabeth after all these years! She has grown so much and she has lost that childlike being as if she put that behind her very fact and wants to forget it! I hope that her family talk to her and make her feel free to talk to a professional and make sure all the fear is deleted out of her memory so that she can go on to love without fear!

Excellent idea for an interview. Ms. Smart was the perfect choice to give her opinion on this matter. Being abducted and held for 9 months made her completely understand what it's like to be held for 18 years and have two children by her abductor. Much like how I once asked my neighbor whose toilet flooded his unique perspective on what Katrina victims went through.

I love how optimistic Elizabeth is, but there's a big difference in being gone from your family for nine months, and being gone for almost twenty years. I think Jaycee is going to need a lot more than family time and a positive attitude to move past what has happened to her and her children.

My thoughts go out to the many children and their families who are victimized by criminals with sickening intent and demoralizing action. May the courts pervail with swift and steep punishment.

I hope the children will find the strength and receive the resources to overcome their grief; for in my eyes, the children are already courageous. Children lost are not forgotten, children found it is truly a miracle.

A special thank you to those who have helped with missing children.

Elizabeth smart was gone for 9 months, this other woman for 19 years. It's very possible that they have nothing in common. Just try to enjoy your family and not think of what happened? Oh yes, the kids...can she forget them too? Some things are just too hard to handle.

As mean as this may sound, I dont think E. Smart could possibly understand what this woman is going thru....this lady has been held captive for 18yrs & given birth to the predator's kids..... not 9 months

I just want to say that I hear these kinds of stories and they always seem to touch my heart either with sadness, anger, or great happiness, depending on the story, of course. I just cannot imagine the horror these girls have survived and my heart is really there with them in way. I just would like them to know, especially to Jaycee, because I actually remember when she was abducted and I feel tremendous joy right now for her, to have finally found a way home and safe with her family once again, that you are in my thoughts and prayers and you must have been through hell out there over the years, please do all you have to, to no longer feel like a victim to these predators, so that you can move on and be happy now. Even if you have to find a way to actually pray for your abductors and perhaps even forgive them, which I know sounds absolutely absurd! The reason I say this is because I was molested over and over as a child, by my stepfather, and I stayed angry my entire life, which resulted in me becoming a drug addict, due to self-medicating trying to not feel all the pain he caused. When I finally got help and got sober, I had to find a way to forgive him for what he had done to me. I do not have to tell him that he is forgiven or ever even try to like the guy (of course, he is dead now) but ever since I made a decision to forgive him in my heart, I have been able to let go of all that anger I was carrying around for all those years, and I finally can truly feel happiness in my life, I no longer feel the need to abuse drugs to try to numb the pain. I really had to work hard to even tell myself that he should even be forgiven, but it was not about him it was anout me and I was his victim long enough. As long as I stayed angry and messed up inside, I remained his victim. Now I am truly a survivor and that is my hopes for you, my friend. You are a very strong and incredible young lady to have survived all of this abuse over the past 18 years and you have been his victim far too long. It is time to move forward in your life and be a survivor and a happy one at that! I shall always keep you in my thoughts and prayers and wish you the very best in your new life. May God bless you with everything that you deserve always. It will take some time to heal, but you can do it and I know you will. God bless you, Jaycee, and Welcome Home.

Unreal! The smart case is not even close, what bs to bring them in!

This is in poor taste, what happened to this girl in California and comparing to Elizabeth Smart, is not the same, comparing apples and oranges. Totally different events. I can't believe that the Smarts are even doing this, they aren't very smart. Leave Jaycee and her family alone.

Having a child abducted has to be a mothers worst nightmare. One of my twin daughters disappeared shortly after birth from the nursery in an Ohio hospital. And till this day, I feel had it not been for my brother inlaw whom is a detective and my former husband family, the child could have been permanently missing/abducted. She was found on another ward, with a nurse whom claimed to have been lonely and stated, " I was bored during the night shift and the baby kept me company." Now this was quickly hunched in the hospital and never recieved any follow up in the media. I was so scared and appauled by the hospital's explanation that I nor my family ever persued a case against the nurse or the hosp. During the event/incident the doctors and nurses as well as security flooded the ward in attempts to figure out what had transpired concerning the missing baby. Once she was found the apologies was overwhelming, and the attention we recieved till I was release was frighten with in it self. Let alone they kept my babies for a week to run test on them, claiming it was a formality. You can believe I kept these babies close and I still have trouble letting them go and they are approx. 30 years old now. God Speed to this women and her family. Love to the 2 new members ( the girls whom was born while in captivity.)

Although I generally applaud Anderson Cooper for his consistent and courageous reporting on difficult topics, I was appalled by the tag line during the Elizabeth Smart interview that read "kidnapped girl found safe". How does being kept in a shed, repeatedly raped, impregnated and forced to bear children constitute "safe"? This young lady is irreparably damaged, especially since she was a child who did absolutely nothing to attract the heinous acts of this man and his wife. I was highly disappointed in AC360 and had to express it.

Sincerely,

Ronda Racha Penrice
Atlanta, GA

Elizabeth Smart recommends a family vacation as a form of rehab? As if this will assist a victim of 18 years kidnapping and rape in her assimilation back into 'real life'. I realize the how exceptional Smart's safe return was but really her experience was incomparable with that of Ms. Dugard. Unfortunately Jaycee Lee will have a much longer path back to normalcy.

Seriously? Elizabeth Smart was missing for 9 months, and is still a kid, and Anderson Cooper asks her what advice she would give Jaycee, who has been missing for 18 years and given birth to two children who have never seen a doctor or been to school? No comparison, and honestly, insulting to Jaycee and her family to hear someone say, "don't let one horrible event take over your whole life." Her horrible event lasted 9 months, this woman was robbed of 18 years. The advice coming from a kid was sweet, the question coming from a grown man, reporter journalist, was really ridiculous.

Both Elizabeth's and Jaycee's stories are amazing! I'm happy they returned to their families, and it amazes me that Jaycee lived for 18 years the way she did, it amazes me that she was never able to reach out for help... not that I am questioning her actions, because I'm sure there are reasons why people do not seek help when they are held captive.... but I am extremely happy for her family, 18 years is a very very long time to miss your daughter, one day is too long!

Cut his balls off.

why do'nt you talk about the truht. anderson you should be ashamed of your self.

Talk about comparing apples and oranges. Yes, both Amy and Jaycee's experiences were tragic, but not close to being similar. Amy was missing for 9 months. Jaycee was separated from her family for 18 years. Amy had a chance to grow up and reacquaint herself with people who looked relatively familiar after 9 months. Only a fool will think that Jaycee will be able to reconnect in such a way after 18 years with faces that will be almost unrecognizable in most instances. This is by no means a miracle. The real miracle will not be realized until after Jaycee and her children are able to reconnect with the rest of society and able to form meaningful relationships in their new lives. Also, I pray that the media gives them enough space to do so. That in itself would also be a miracle.
Ultimately, I'm just deeply annoyed that someone I respect would solicit advice for Jaycee from someone who does not even come close to the type of abuse that Jaycee had to endure, not just for herself but also for her children. Deeply disappointing.

Dear Anderson.... 8/28/2009

Subject: The Found, Missing Woman and Elizabeth Smart....

In watching last night's 360 show, you had Ed Smart and his daughter, Elizabeth on to comment on the missing woman found just the other day after 18 years. I couldn't help noticing, and some reason cannot forget how Elizabeth kept a slight smile on her face during the entire show. I recall when she was found, the police asked her, her name and she gave her name as: "Flower" or something, and never acted as though she was afraid for her life or needing help or wanted to escape from the couple that she was found with, and were allegedly holding her captive. And today, after reaching adulthood, her father and uncles still appear on television with her, whenever they can get a chance to. And she's even written a book or two on her childhood capture. But something has always rang a bit strange about this girl's captivity. Oh I believe she was taken by that strange, hippie looking couple back then. But she always appears "smiling" when she's interviewed about her captive experiences, which indicates to me anyway, that she may not have been held against her will so much as she and her family claims she was. And Lord knows, her family has played this story over the years to their own advantage. For a while, they could not stay away from doing TV interviews. The story just got old after she was found, and was no longer interesting to the public, but I believe they; (father and uncle) anyway, were ready to play the victimized family members for life.

Really, there is, and always will be something very strange about this young woman: (Elizabeth Smart), and her "persistent and constant smile" after allegedly being held against her will !

RE: Ed Smart

To this day, I think Mr. Smart is creepy. I also feel that to some degree he is/was complicit in his daughters disappearance and subsequent retrieval.

Elizabeth is no longer a minor. It seems that wherever and whenever she speaks to someone, Ed is right there with her, It's almost as if he serves as a constant reminder to her as to what she is "allowed" to say. It's also interesting just how successful the Smarts have been in keeping media coverage limited and devoid of any lurid details of Ms Smart's time in captivity(?) Why and how is this possible? Take the recent murder of Jasmine Fiore.....lurid details? Too much, of course. But the question remains : How did Ed Smart work this all out?

Does anyone else feel this way about the weirdo Smart family?

This interview is utterly asinine. "Elizabeth what’s your advice for Jaycee?" Are you kidding me, Anderson? What does Elizabeth Smart know about being held captive for nearly 2 decades? What does she know about bearing the children of her captors? The older one is practically Elizabeth’s age and has spent her entire life in captivity!

Nice equivocation, AC360°.

You are talking to the wrong Elizabeth. Elizabeth Fritzl is the only one who can possibly understand what this woman has gone through. Sadly, this guy is another Fritzl.

This interview is utterly asinine. “Elizabeth what’s your advice for Jaycee?” Are you kidding me, Anderson? What does Elizabeth Smart know about being held as a sex slave for nearly 2 decades? What does she know about bearing the children of her rapist? The older one is practically Elizabeth’s age and has spent her entire traumatic life in captivity!

Nice equivocation, AC360°.

Thank you, Anderson, for asking the question about the community's responsibility in being more observant. How many other children could have been saved or will be saved with just a little more vigilence and going with a gut feeling that something is not quite right? There are thousands of identified child molestors in our midst. They need to be monitored for the sake of all the innocent victims that become involved. Tragic and very frustrating that this threat of abduction and molestation continues to threaten our children and families every where.
Let this be a lesson to all of us to keep the faith and hope as well as to pay attention and make the call when it is needed. We could save lives and end the misery by doing so.

There is no difference what so ever between these young woman other than the lenght of time and the children born to one.

Both were removed from there familes, raped, held against there will, mentally tortured and most probably physically abused.

While Elizabeth may sound cheery let's not forget this child lost her innocence and her childhood to some sick monster who also was help in his evil by his "wife".

She knows what this girl went through and maybe her belief in her god and her family helped her stand strong again but we can't and shouldn't dismiss her horrific experience just because she was fortunate enough to only have to endure nine months of the worst hell a child should go through instead of 18 years or 24 years in the case of Elizabeth Fritzl.

Shame on us for making her ordeal any less traumatic – this is exactly why people don't want to talk or don't want to make every effort to put these monsters behind bars forver – because of public opinion over what they should have done and what they should be feeling and how they should have acted.

These monsters deserve death, when you kill a child's innocence and take away the joy of childhood, not to mention the fact that most end up murdered, there should be no jail, no trial, no endless appeals.

There should be death and if that sounds barbaric then find me guilty because children don't often get a voice and sometimes its too late to hear them if they can find a way.

Don't downplay this child's experience just because she's workng through her ordeal – none of us no what really haunts her dreams.

The statement Mr. Smart made in regards to the publics responsibiltiy to be observant and to help find kidnapped children:
I think that sometimes we need to put ourselves out and if we feel uncomfortable about something, you might look stupid, but it’s better to check than not. There are other children out there like this that want to be found, and that we just need to work on how we feel.
is the message of this interview.

I think the point is being missed.... yes one has been gone for 18 years versus the other being gone for nine months.
No one can understand anybody's individual situation. Yet we should admire Elizabeth Smart's for reaching out no matter the differences and saying she understands how hard it is to be taken away from those who love you. This young girl endured a hell of her own as well. It isn't about what happened to them while they were gone, or the length of time they were gone for. Nothing anyone says to this woman will take away what she has to live with for the rest of her life.
The uniqueness of a child being found after 18 years is amazing. I think it is with that Elizabeth reaches out and tells her not to despair. Even in the most desolute of situations there can be hope and strength within an individual to push forward.

I can't listen to this story and help but think of the stories of girls like this who were abducted by Indians during the frontier period in America. The stories abound of how they had adapted to their new setting to the point that by the time they were "rescued" years later, they wholly identified with their captors and had not the slightest desire to be repatriated. The most famous, perhaps, was that of Cynthia Ann Parker, whose Indian son, generally identified as Quanah Parker, became a leading Comanche chief! This phenomenon has even been dramatized in some of the better western movies that were made in the 1950's and 60's. One has to wonder what the effect of twenty years has on someone who was forced into this situation at such an impressionable age. While the fact she is actually alive is a blessing, things from here on out are no doubt going to be difficult for everyone involved.

I know it's different ,but Elizabeth was abducted, I know.. only 9 mos, but she was found and it was a very big deal years ago and she was also the first person I thought of when this new abduction was made public. It is nice to see her adjusting so well. The point is that it is very important that Jaycee's family fully accept her and especialy her children, give her lots of love and support, and let her decide when she wants to talk about what happened. It is also very important that the media be careful and responsible for a change. I know it's big news, but there is the safety and well being of her and her children to think of, so interview her when she's ready. Good luck to you Jaycee and your children and remember, everyone is behind you.

I love seeing and hearing Elizabeth and her father. We've seen and heard about so many kidnapping cases with such horrible endings. Elizabeth's story, although her captivity was horrible, did end and she did come home. She is what hope is. I'm proud of her and I'm sure her family is too.
I hope that Jaycee and her family can move forward and regain some kind of stability. I realize how difficult that will be, but at least she is home now. All my prayers and good wishes go out to her and the other missing children out there that haven't been found yet.

I hope Elizabeth and Jaycee and her children, know that not only thier family love them.
I want them to feel the love the world can offer, after seeing the evil of the world.
I would hope Elizabeth and family would offer directly, to help the familys(11yr old victims and 29yr old mothers) To deal with the over whelming attention after being so isolated for so long, to deal with the new freedoms, to some day be able to walk down a sunny street if they want, to feel safe, to feel in control that most of us take for granted.

To the press, I hope they offer a podium to speak from, but not to infringe on their life if they don't want it. They had so much of their life stolen from them already.

I pray for these families, the SMarts, and the Dugard families.

I hope the court takes everything these people own and liquidate it, and offer it to the 29 yr old to set up their life. Not much to show for 18 yrs of abuse for 3 prisioners.

I would also like to make a public appology to the step father, for all the doubt that the investigations and news media automatically dump on the non-biological parent, and by being the last person to see her.
The frustration of trying to prevent the crime and not being able too, plus the frustration of having everyone doubting you would have been overwhelming.
We must all remember, step parents aren't all evil. Its alot easier to say everyone is innocent until proven guilty, then to actually live it.

Punishment for the kidnappers: 10 yrs per year of abduction/imprisionment, that being 180 yrs for the 11 yr old, and then 150 yrs for the oldest child, and 110 yrs for the youngest. So 440yrs just for abduction and imprisionment.(remember our great justice system, 1/2 of term is served by walking into jail, and good behavior takes some down too.)
Every allegation of rape the victim(s) can remember, should be assumed to be true(since no proof can be given.) These counts should ad another 20 yrs per. And any abuse of "his" children should ad even more.
Basically 3 life sentences plus.

I have a daughter the same age as Jaycee..... I have raised her, I have helped her through the difficult teen years, attended her graduation, enjoyed all of the holidays with her...... She just got married last year, bought her first house. I have been there for her through good and bad times. Oh how I cherish every one of these moments.

Jaycee and her mother have been robbed of all of this. And her step father has lived with suspicion on probably all fronts. He and Jaycee's mother are separated. You can't tell me that Jaycee's mother hasn't had the same suspicion in the back of her mind.

The abductor and his wife have caused irrepairable damage to so many. There isn't a punishment to fit this crime. I am hoping that the torture that they both have to endure in prison is enough to satisfy what they really deserve.

Give Elizabeth a break! Although there are others out there who might have a better perspective because they were held for longer, Elizabeth is the one who came forward. And she does have some things in common with Jaycee: They were about the same age when taken, they were both molested (although Jaycee's ordeal is much longer and greater) and they were both finally freed.

Elizabeth has offered a few starting points for healing. It's a good idea to listen to her advice, because a counselor probably isn't going to have first hand experience in being held in captivity.

Just another note.

Please look at the missing kids.
AMW, center missing and exploited kids, Wal-mart the missing kids,

Just look at them,
You might notice a runaway...But you might also notice a kidnapped child.
Report it, you might look stupid, but you might shorten someones suffering.

Lets not let a child live in this situation.

Okay, so the two ladies don't have the exact same stories but how many people have been abducted and been found alive after any given period of time? There aren't many to pick from so they choose to do an interview with the next best thing. It's about length of time and if Elizabeth hadn't been noticed when she was then she might still be in the same situation. Why can't people just be kind, accept the stories as different and write something encouraging to both ladies for the personal hell they've had to endure? Elizabeth's comments are a bit naive, but I'd take them over a smart aleck comment any day.

I can't help thinking about Joseph Fritzl, in Austria who kept his daughter in that dungeon for all those years as well. These men are sickos. Where do u begin?
He should be locked away for a long time. He has ruin the lives of Jaycee, her children and her family. Her stepfather was under suspicion for a long time and he said as a result it ruin his marriage. She never got an education and neither did her children. How was he able to go so long without anyone finding out?

We can only pray that with professional help they can move past this terrible tragedy.

And what about the wife who was an accomplice, just heartless!!

Elizabeth is a very blessed girl to have been given the wonderful family she has. I pray this young woman and her two children will be given the love, support and counseling they will so desperately need to get well. Although some may say this is a miracle, I believe "miracle" may have been a more appropriate word, had it happened 18 years ago. I cannot imagine the horror this woman and her children must have endured. Only with enormous, love, patience and counseling with these three women be able to move forward. I will keep their entire family in my prayers.

There is no comparison here!! Smart was missing for 9 MONTHS–Dugard was gone 18 YEARS–Dugard and her parents missed many milestones, memories etc. Dugard was forced into having children at ages 14 and 18. She was confined to a shed for 18 years–she didn't have a chance to seek outside help–Smart roamed with her captives and had several opportunities to seek help–eventually she was found b/c they were roaming. This interview is a slap in the face to Dugard, her family, her two daughters and all they've been through...

I am so happy for all the kids that are found!
I know it is not easy at all to go through all that pain. It takes time to recover, but it is worth it!
The Smarts are a wonderful family, they proof by serving God, keeping faith, miracles can happen!

My prayers go to all the families that are suffering for something like this.

God bless you and give the strength you all need!

A crime being committed right under our noses went completely unnoticed. For 18 long years! We and our splendid isolation; see where it's taking us.

There is a significant difference between these two stories. However, Elizabeth Smart is the only other person in the world (that I know of) who has experienced such a terrifying life-changing event and lived tell the world about it. Of course she can only comment on her own experience (Ted – who then would have been a better choice?). Elizabeth is a brave girl to have agreed to be interviewd again. Jaycee has lived through the unimaginable. Indeed she needs support and strength. Perhaps Elizabeth's story can give Jaycee and her children some strength to take the first step toward a new life. Jaycee, my thoughts an prayers are with you and your daughters.

Although Elizabeth Smart also went through a horrific event, her advice does not apply to Jaycee's experience at all. We must understand that after a certain point in time, she may have stopped trying to escape this horiffic life and is so disconnected from her original family at this point that it will probably be extremely difficult to connect with them in a healthy manner again. There was so much trauma and abuse in this situation that Jaycee may have taken on this life as her own after a certain point, perhaps not even trying to find a way out. Although it is amazing and relieving that she was finally found and is "free" from her captors, she may never truly feel "free" until her and her children recieve intensive trauma counseling. Trying to reconnect with her original parents at this point (however happy they may be to see her) could actually be MORE damaging right now. If her parents truly care about her well being, hopefully they can understand that as well.

I send this note to Elizabeth, in case she reads the sarcastic, uncaring comments that some readers have shared. It is obvious that 9 months is different than 18 years, but the difference does not take away from the fact that you experienced something so terrible that fortunately very few of us will ever have to experience. You are a courageous woman, and your positive approach is a breath of fresh air. Your attitude and perseverance gives us hope. Our society can be so quick to jump on the negative, as shown by some of these comments, and your approach helps offset such unconstructive criticism. Talking about your experience will help others who need support and advice from someone who also has suffered through the horrible experience of being abducted and we are lucky that you are willing to share your thoughts, your hope and your love of life.

Elizabeth Smart has never really told the story which i believe is her right.......however, I do believe there is a lot more to her story that sheds a dark light on her experience. i believe she had a child in the time she was gone........i believe her parents know this. jaycee was traumatized for a lot longer and the repercussions will run deep. I hope that both these women will be happy and content. Ed Smart never really gives an insightful interview other than he gives a positive spin on the experience. Something is not right in the Smart home.

The very idea that there would be even remote comparison between these two cases/situations is ludicrous. The psychological impact of what Jaycee has gone through is beyond anyone's comprehension. Enjoy her family? This poor child has been brain washed for 19 years. I doubt she can just "reconnect" and enjoy her family.

The Smart's offering advice is equally as ludicrous and actually quite insensitive. They are quite obviously lacking a great deal of insight. Anderson Cooper would have done well to have interviewed a soldier who has been a POW for 19 years rather than interviewing the Smart Family.

I for one am praying for Jaycee and her children. It's going to take a countries prayers and a whole lot of psychological counselling to restore any level of normalcy for these young women.

First off, thoughts and prayers to both Jaycee and her family. Second, while yes, there are vast differences between Elizabeth's abduction and Jaycee's abduction, I think that Elizabeth is much more qualified to offer insight on Jaycee's situation than all of us who have commented on here are! Prayers to Elizabeth and the Smart family as well.

Anderson, I don't know that there is any "false " hope in these situations. These people who have lost thier children to predators among us need all the hope they can get otherwise they might not survive. Believe me "false" hope is much better than "no" hope at all. I'm not dissing what you said, I'm just saying, you know? My heart goes out to anyone finding themself in such a horrible situation. I don't know what I myself would have done in the same situation! It's so unthinkable until it happens.

Donna Wood
Lexington, Tennessee

I think what Elizabeth and Jaycee would have in common is the brainwashing that had to take place to get these children to stay in the situation. Elizabeth would understand that. Remember, somebody found Elizabeth. She didn't escape on her own. And that must be because of the terrible fear and brainwashing both she and Jaycee were put through. Elizabeth probably understands the feeling that your previous life is gone and this is now your life.
That being said, I do think Jaycee will have a tougher time readjusting than Elizabeth, because Elizabeth came home when she was still a child. Jaycee is an adult with children of her own. I just can't imagine. But didn't something like this just happen in Austria? I wonder how that woman is doing; didn't she have a bunch of kids with her horrible father keeping her captive?

I don't think anyone tried to equate the two situations, least of all Miss Smart and her dad; but Cooper tried to find someone who might be able to relate and this was the closest he could come. Thank God there aren't too many people who have suffered in this way, though I suspect there are more than we imagine.

Miss Smart is a resilient and admirable person who handled an awful situation beautifully. My prayer for her and for Miss Dugard and her kids is that they continue to be blessed by the love of God and of those around them, to know that there is goodness in the world as well as terrible evil, and to choose goodness every day.

"Hard to handle"? Of course. Impossible? All things are possible with God.

A 9 month ordeal and a 18 year ordeal is definitely not comparable by any means. Going through therapy for erasing 9 months to me will take a lifetime to overcome... I can't imagine 18 years of horror to erase... impossible I know. I just hope that his young lady doesn't let this psycho ruin the rest of her life. Be strong, get through this with your head up high and your eyes blaring with light! You not only have the support of your family and friends but the entire world supporting every move you make! NOTHING is your fault nor your kids! You are a miracle and I hope you the VERY best from this day forward!

jaycee's situation was very much like the case of the german girl who was held hostage in a basement for years.

I applaud Elizabeth Smart for the way she has handled the tragic and hateful events that tore into her young life. To her and her family, those nine months must have been an eternity. She is a very brave and special young woman indeed, and a fine role model. We certainly need many, many more like her. However, this is where the apples and oranges comparison comes into play. There are similarities – what happened to both girls was tragic, hateful and it happened at the same young, tender age. They forced to live under dirty, disgusting conditions. But for Jaycee, it didn't end by the next time the roses bloomed or the next time school got out for summer vacation, or by her next birthday. She spent almost twice as long as she had been alive, in captivity. Elizabeth's advise is good but needs to be delivered to the appropriate audience. Jaycee doesn't know her family and what happened to her makes up two-thirds of her life. As I said, apples and oranges.

Elizabeth, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of the people who have posted less-than-compassionate comments here. You are amazing, strong, and have survived a terrible ordeal that nobody should ever have to go through. The length of another's ordeal does not lessen what happened to you. I am sorry for the inconsideration displayed here. I wish you all of the best.

Anderson Cooper wants to interview Elizabeth Smart and her father and show where they are now. Fine.

But to ask Elizabeith Smart to give advice to a 29 year old mother of two children–as if she is qualified to do so–is moronic.

It makes me sick to think that this young girl had to endure such shocking treatment and forced to sire children with this child molester. What is even more sickening is that his wife allowed it to happen. They should both be prosecuted to the hightest extent of the law. Prison time will not even make up for what they've done and the lives they've ruined. My prayers are with Jaycee and her family that they can get thru all of this.

Wait a second... the story is about Jaycee.

God can do it?

Elizabeth we applaud you?

What about this poor woman Jaycee? You people are spoon fed monkeys.

This case is more like the Austrian case which came to light a year ago or so. That girl was kidnapped by her father, held in the basement for longer than this if I recall correctly. She bore 8 children during that time. Her father got life in prison and I believe Elisabeth and her children are living in a compound getting the therapy they need and I pray are doing well.

Jaycee and Elizabeth are both survivors, they have that in common. I don't believe the interview was trying to portray their experiences or situation as being the same. I believe it was healthy for Elizabeth to be able to express her positive outlook and let's face it, that's what Jaycee needs right now. We all know it won't be an easy journey, but as a parent I know any journey with my daughter, and now two grandchildren, would be better than none at all. With faith, love and patients, they will build a new family. I pray they find joy and laughter. Jaycee is a survivor!

I'm worried about media attention and intrusion. That's going to be hard for the Dugart's to handle. Every talking head will venture opinions, many of them hurtful and sensational. They'll hound the family, trying to feed the frenzy with sound bites.

I remember how Ed Smart was criticized for what he said or didn't during his family's 9 month ordeal and aftermath. His daughter was criticized by ignorant reporters and members of the public for not immediately condemning her abductors or escaping sooner. They didn't seem to understand the psychology of abduction, despite a wealth of information. It was easier to sensationalize and second guess.

I know they'll start doing that with Jaycee. Yet Jaycee's problems and adjustment will be different, and not as easily mended as having a family togetherness. The media must leave her and her family alone as they try to adjust and find some normalcy.

While I sympathize with Elizabeth Smart for the ordeal she and her family went through, I don't know how you can compare her to the horror that Jaycee has experienced. I think Elizabeth's comments were very naive and I'm rather surprised that Anderson didn't respond to that, although I'm sure he didn't want to offend or upset her or her father. I was very irritated with the whole interview and I'm a tremendous Anderson Cooper fan!

Kudos to the police who noticed odd behavior and took action on it! Frankly, they would have been a better interview choice so that we could all learn what they observed. I am happy for Elizabeth Smart's continued strength and the fact that she is moving on and seems to be doing well. That being said, her case is really not a relevant comparison to someone held captive for 18 years. I read another article that neighbors saw the tents and heard kids playing, but did nothing, ugh! As a society, we should focus on helping prevent something like this in the future by learning types of behavior to look for, when to act, appropriate action to take, and simply to step up rather than being afraid or looking the other way.

I couldn't watch the rest of the interview. It felt like a celebration after a long "ordeal" Everyone feeling good because "its over". Where's the outrage? Does anyone really want to stop these monsters from victimizing more children? And Elizabeth Smart's father parading her on TV like that. Sick. Sick. Sick.

Anderson – How about a link to Elizabeth's pamphlet?

Of course Elizabeth Smart's situation is different, but it is a heck of a lot closer to Jaycee's than anyone could imagine. If it weren't for a single observant stranger, Elizabeth would still be living in captivity and probably have a child by now (her captor certainly tried). So let's not diss on Elizabeth because her experience was merely horrible, rather than extremely horrible. She didn't ask to come on the show, but was gracious enough to again share her own experience so that the rest of us had some idea of what Jaycee might be feeling. I'm sure that Elizabeth would be the last one to say her situation was just the same as Jaycee's. But even her ordeal was beyond what any of us can imagine in our worst nightmares. And geez, to those who are harping on Elizabeth being Mormon, get a life!

Thank you Elizabeth for being willing to share, and all the best to Jaycee and her family in their attempt to try to return to a relatively normal and hopefully happy and peaceful life. And maybe we can all try to have a little more patience and compassion with everyone around us, because we often don't know what those around us have experienced in the past or are currently going through.

I think that it's great the Elizebeth Smart is doing well. But this situation has nothing to do with her it's not even comparable. 18 years that is more than half of Jaycees life. And everything around her has changed not just her family and her self but society. She has such a long road to any recovery and my heart goes out to Jaycee. She probably doesn't even know up from down. I hope the media and people around her can give her her space that she needs. As for her kids they are in the same boat as their mom. They may as well be from a 3erd world country the way they were brought up. So sad. I think the people (us) should start some fund for her and her kids so she can just live the rest of her life in peace and happiness and no worries! She deserves it!

These stories, Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, are so completely different. First, Elizabeth was 13 yrs old vs Jaycee at 11 yrs of age. Those two years do make a BIG difference. Second, the length of time in captivity. Add to that, Jaycee being pregnant, having a child at age 14, and her being totally dependent on her captors for her very survival. All of these details will make her adjustment incredibly difficult.

Jaycee's children, and God knows what condition they are in mentally...he says he slept with them every night...have never gone to school, had friends, social interaction, doctor visits, etc. What will they have to adjust to...hmm...maybe the whole world. Elizabeth Fritzl of Austria is the only one who comes to mind who might have some insight for Jaycee.

This story, and the one in Austria, both make me wonder about the lack of curiosity in people. In each case, there were people who had reason to be suspicious of the victims captors. How can you live next door to a property and not know what is on that property? The house in California is on a one acre lot at best...fences be damned, a 6ft ladder takes care of that...this creep had to be making multiple trips to the back of his property, every day and night for 18 years. Very suspicious in my mind.

9 months vs 11 years....is there really a comparison? I doubt their experiences could've been very similiar outside the fact they were both taken from their homes.

Mr. Cooper:

I saw your interview with Elizabeth Smart and her father. I am surprised that you would mix apples with oranges. You are an intelligent person and I am sure understands that no one can compare 9 months of being with a kidnapper to 18 years of repeatedly being raped, possible physical abuse, and not knowing if you will be killed or not. Not to mention the emotional abuse this woman and her children endured. Let's not forget that these children or their mother had any socialization with their peers or others, which will impair their functioning socially. There are so many issues here to be addressed to help this woman and her children, I can't begin to list them. Please, please, even though I can understand the trauma Elizabeth and her father went through, please do not compare her story to this one. PLEASE!

I have not read a single blog or comment above as I just scrolled down here to leave my own personal opinion not swayed by anything else. Some people will hate me for this but I have a right to my belief.

This little girl Jaycee was held prisoner and never let out and never went to a hospital or anywhere so therefore I have a completely different feeling about her and her children born from this monster. I feel very sorry for her and for them and I believe he deserves worst than the death penalty and should be tortured as long as they can and keep him alive to torture him more and more----But I literally cannot stand Elizabeth Smart and think the whole thing was a ploy. She is pathetic and I think since she was out in public on a regular basis and wore clothing hiding her face and lived close to her home and had PLENTY opportunity to escape not like this other girl that she deserved no sympathy from her parents and her parents should have disowned her and never let her come home. She is in it for the money and so is her parents. Why not ask them if they have received any money for their Interviews or for books or anything else and if so ask them to give every damn dime to charity. Bet they won't!!!!! I get sick everytime I hear or see her and don't believe a word she says.

Your investigative reporting skills would be better used exploring how someone is on parole and no one notices the hostages living in the yard. Your second line of investigation could be for the sheriff who investigates a call that there are people living in tents in the backyard and they never look in the backyard.

–disgusted

This person was disconnected from her family and not educated for 18 years...this poor woman is in for an agonizing recovery.

oh, and if you look at a map–she was 48 miles away from where she was kidnapped–just the other side of the el dorado state forest.

How sad.

just wanted to thank 360 for great show on health care hope you do more of the same

wasn't this the girl that was completely untethered, left unattended for hours and only like 1 stop away from her house on the freeway?

Thank you for the wonderful interview. Elizabeth Smart is brave for sharing her story. I wish her the best in the future.
Pamina

You do the Jaycee Dugar story a disservice by bringing Elizabeth Smart into the analysis. Elizabeth was abducted and lost for less than one year, while Jaycee was kidnapped and lost for 19 YEARS, just shy of two decades. Jaycee spent nearly twice the number of years in the control of her kidnapper than she did as a member of her own family. Besides, Elizabeth and her father always give off a disturbing "Stepford" vibe that also distracts from the complex issues involved in Jaycee's sad situation.

Perhaps you should turn to the boy in the Midwest who was held for years and found a year or so ago (you know, where O'Reilly infamously talked about how much "fun" the kid was having with his pedofile captor). How has he adjusted to returning to his true family?

Elizabeth Smart's glossy advertising brochure looks and story just do not belong in the Jaycee Dugar tragedy.

I am sorry but having Elizabeth Smart on was not helpful. In my humble opinion there is not a very good comparison here- 9 months to 18years, living in a shed and bearing this crazy man's children. While this is a joyful day, we also would do her a disservice not to give her the time and space to heal as she has to have suffered tremendously. As a mother I hold you in my heart Jaycee and pray for healing and I am so happy that Elizabeth is home, happy, and healed as well. There is no replacement for a loving understanding family.

Beautiful Young Lady. You Are The Miracle!

Kia Kaha!

Arohanui,

I'm completely shocked and appalled by some of the responses in trivializing Elizabeth's kidnapping compared to Jaycee's because Elizabeth was "only" gone for 9 months and Jaycee was gone for 18 years and bore children with her captor. I'd like to know how Liliana Briones and a few other posters would feel if they were kidnapped for ONE DAY!

Elizabeth has endured an unspeakable horror and I'm humbled by her courage to move forward and to help other kidnapped victims. I wish Jaycee and her children that type of courage to move forward.

If you go to Google maps and enter the address of Phillip Garrido's house and click on "Street View" you can see images of Garrido pulling out of his driveway in a extremely rusty van and follow the Google camera car down Walnut. Then both vehicles make a right onto Bown Lane and the rusty van pulls up close behind the camera car at the next corner. You can see what looks like a male behind the wheel. If it's not Phillip Garrido who else might it be? When I first looked at these images I thought they were quite chilling and something you might want to share with your viewers.

Most of us wonder why children like Jaycee Lee Dugard and countless others, continue to be abducted, tortured and often killed. Out of frustration I went searching for some answers. I spoke to some law enforcement people and congressional people via phone. I read a lot and finally came to the conclusion that public apathy combined with limited financial resources is at the heart of the problem.

In case you haven’t heard protecting children from sex predators is extremely low on our community list of “to-do’s”. A lack of public outcry is a big reason that these monsters continue to hunt & hurt our children. We hear the news story and then make dinner and then forget about it. Just imagine if every parent in your neighborhood called their Senator and House Rep TODAY and demanded stronger sentences for these predators? Sadly it won’t happen. Why? Because while most everyone loathes sex predators, nobody thinks that their child will ever be the victim of this type of crime. Everyone is too busy or too apathetic to take any action.

Since most people have very little motivation to call or visit their assigned congressional representatives to insist on REAL changes to the system, changes won’t be happening anytime soon. Who doesn’t think that their neighborhood is “safe”? Nobody wants to dwell on darkness, so we put it out of our minds and it gets put on the back burner until it happens again…

Let’s face it. Tax dollars are precious. Simply put, there’s just not enough money to keep all these sexual deviants locked up for any length of time. What money there is, is spent on other community priorities. Statistically speaking, a few abducted & murdered children aren’t worth our trouble. Maybe that sounds callous and extreme, but that’s reality. Certainly not the reality that I wish for, but the only one that exists.

With financial resources being so limited, there is only so much room for so many inmates in our prisons. Sex offenses against children just don’t rank as high as other types of crimes. The state has limited space & they have to pick and choose who gets to stay and who must go. These sentencing decisions are made by judges I presume. In addition to a cash-strapped system, I suspect that more “liberal” judges believe that sex predators can be “rehabilitated” and may in fact give them more lenient sentences. That’s why it becomes very important to vote for judges! The one category I never seem to know enough about to cast a vote for.

Yes, these are just my personal theories about why these crimes against children go seem to go on and on. In the mean time, please remember that proverbial wisdom: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. The safety of our children is strictly is up to parents & caretakers. If you snooze your child may lose. If you don’t protect your biological investments then NOBODY will.

Two sad stories with happy endings, though the scars will never be resolved.

Anderson,
Interesting you bring a similar case and the experience of those who lived the problem.

I hope justice will be served in this case. My problem is not with the kidnappers but with the government agencies that monitored these individuals. The news focus is on the kidnapper and his wife, but it should also be on the shoddy work these government agencies did and what about the neighbors? Here is a reason that the US gets no respect. We as a country do not respect each other and could care less what happen to the guy next to me. Hey! I hope all government agencies open the sleepy eyes and engage their minds to ensure that this is the only site of its kind. Gee! Do you think there could be more out there and even more sophisticated then what this individual had. I was going to say look at what the economy did. It caused the government agencies to cut back and caused all this misery. But once again, I am wrong, because it is the human element that is at fault not the economy. Boy, there must be a lot of Sergeant Shultz’s out there where this guy lived, “I know nothing”.

Mr. Cooper,
I enjoy your news reporting very much. I appreciate the way you deliver the news. Very professionally! I do have a comment on the Health Care Plan being touted by Pres. Obama and many of the members of Congress. I would like to ask if the end result plan will be for all the citizens including the members of Congress, the Pres., VP, and the Speaker of the House. Or, will it exclude the members of Congress, Pres., VP and Speaker of the House? If they will be excluded, why, because their plan is so much better and if it is, why not offer the same plan they have to all of us. I'm sure all that has to be done is mention this and the red flag will be raised. From what I have learned, they have a fantastic Health Plan and retirement plan. Wow, we need to have all those perks brought out by the media and see how much news you will have. No one in the media has mentioned this little known fact and I wonder why? Thanks for your consideration in reading this. I hope to hear back from you. Elsie Wierzba

Hi,
I am glad to know and see the great political people the Kennedy"s were. As a Canadian I am sad to see all the old stale politicians
riding off of their shirt tails.
Only to live each day with the daily problems more people face than not.
God will wake up the planet. These people whom uphold their own praise and is quite meaningless to the rest of the world, hold on you are next, the axe was made for you.
What will you do ? As the planet dies and people keep killing what are you and your pride of money???
In Ted Kennedy's passing, I see the staleness of those OLD POLITICAL CREEPS that run Washington.
The Kennedy"s are dead.
Let each human rule , and decide,not the old stale farts whom live the life thanks to the taxpayers.Politics DIE, Huge Salaries Die.
Thanks Rose

I am so sorry for getting the wrong comments on the wrong topic of discussion. I do have to agree with many of the comments that the two cases are truly different. I would add that both girls were kidnapped at young ages but Jaycee was younger and held for so much longer and was totally dependent on her captives. I really can't see how one can compare the two kidnappings. I just hope and pray that Jaycee and her family can reconnect and go forward. She has so much to learn and patience and understanding are going to be needed. Elizabeth seems to have done very well although she did appear to be a tad nervous. I'm sure it's not something she likes to talk about much. I hope the kidnappers received the harshest punishment that can be given. They are by all definitions animals! EW

The Boston Community Chorus was the WORST singing I've ever heard in my life!!! Other than that, the coverage of the Kennedy Memorial was great!

Why did you have to cut it with your stupid commentary and fail to show the ending of Kennedy's memorial? It is so irritating and disrespectful that you can't let the viewer be a part of the entire memorial and its closure.

Allison Jacobs and Lisa Campbell are true heroes!!!!!

I am glad that you brought the story of the two girls to us even though Elizabeth's kidnapping was short lived, it was still terrifying and can give insight as to how Jayscee feels without her having to relive it and tell us herself. Good work Anderson.

Watching ac360 right now. Regarding MJackson and propofol. I am Anesthetist,CRNA and your correspondent should get info correct. Versed is not a muscle relaxant. It is a sedative. Ehedrine is used to increase a dropping Blood pressure. 25mg Propofol alone would not kill anyone. Dose too small. More importantly, a cardiologist is not appropriate to provide propofol .Only anesthesia providers CRNA and MDA are trained to safely give this hypnotic drug. Only medical people trained specifically in airway management and resuscitation.Anyone else is not the standard of care.

There is something strange to me about the demeanor of Elizabeth in this interview, she seems dreamy, a sort of absence in her face. I cannot imagine the absolute horror that both of these girls have been through. Its unimaginable.

Please, remove the 2 comments attributed to me. Someone (probably my roommate) used my computer to post them. It wasn't me, and I'd like them removed. Thank you very much.

Wow...an incredibly moving interview.
For the parents to have the will to continue hoping when others have already given up and probably being told to do that as well and circumstances looking grim...not many individuals can keep believing on and on and not give up. (People have given up for less stressful situations)
The pain that they have to go through...so much hurting within, the not knowing and not having much signs to confirm in what you're hoping for and believe in, it would seem much easier to let go. There's no right or wrong way. A person has just got to decide what's best for their sanity.
As for the girls, their strength to survive and now having to live with what they have experienced is beyond most people's comprehension. Their situation may be similar but the duration of time endured is not. Nevertheless, they both have endured so very much and they deserve respect for their will to survive and their phenomenal strength, then and now. They both deserve all the time they need to work this out.

I think what Elisabeth was teaching us all something.

Many in this world have had terrible things happen to them. Some not as bad. Many hold onto the thing so long that you miss out on life. hate can be an addiction. Christ says were are to forgive all men.

I say not because they deserve forgiveness but because we deserve to live our lives without holding on to some wrong someone did to us. When I see someone like Elizabeth forgive and move on ...I am encouraged. How can anything that that b'tch of an ex-wife I had compare with what she went through. yet I was addicted to the hate for many years before I learn that lesson.

I have something that is on my mind, After what the president has done, Cash for clunkers, After all the cars that have been sold, and this put the auto workers back to work, whats going to happen when the auto workers make all the new cars and cant sell or move them , will the auto industry be back in trouble, the people just dont have the type of money thats being asked for new cars, they are not worth the price the dealers and auto industry is asking,
they are junk from the word go, plastic and rubber, who in there right mind is going to pay from $14000.00 to $21000.00 for them, people would have to be out of there minds to buy such Junk, one good accident and the auto is considered Junk,

Hi Anderson, I have been thinking about Jaycee all day and still can't wrap my mind around what happened to her. I wish I could give her a hug, hold her hand and tell her everything's going to be all right. I wish I can help her and her family heal. Times like these remind me that I missed my true calling in life, of being a psychologist or a social worker or a therapist. I love helping people. I so wish I can be in California to help her. All I can do is pray that God will keep her safe and help her live a happy and peaceful life. Anderson if there's anything I can do to help her please let me know.

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

I can't understand how this man was let out of prison in the first place after being convicted of similar crimes. What is wrong with the legal system that allows this kind of monster to live his life and ruin the lives of others? The people who paroled him and subsequently didn't follow-up or keep a more watchful eye on him should also be reprimanded. If you can't watch him, let him rot in prison! Here we go with another long legal battle, wasting tax-payer money for the same person, same crime. The victims (Jaycee, her children and her other family members), have led a horrid life and nothing will ever repair the damage. Why don't we do something the first time around with these pedophiles, not wait until more lives have been ruined before we step up and say enough is enough AND THEN TRY TO MAKE IT ALL BETTER? They should be automatically castrated, be made to do manual labor, fed bread and water and leave them without medical care until they die- even that is too good for them! Bring back the death penalty and lets get rid of these sick bastards before any more lives are ruined!!! THE LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED!!!

Very sad story, no girl should have to ever go through this, this is despicable and I will never understand how someone part of the human race can commit such shameful and horrible things. Elizabeth is a very courageous young girl and she looks positive with a smile on her face in spite of everything she's been through and I find this very brave. I would have loved hearing more about the 'downs' of what she went through (and what Jaycee must be going though now) though. As Anderson asked Elizabeth about the 'ups and downs' of such an experience, she only kept talking about 'overwhelming happiness' which I can imagine is true, but what about the other side ? I wish she would have mentioned the 'down' moments more, as Anderson had asked about. But I guess in situations like this, it's better to stay positive and not talk about the negative in order to remain psychologically stable and be able to move on. This or denial ? I don't know. Maybe the 'downside' is not to talk about on TV but just with family and a trusted therapist. However, I would have loved to hear a little more like: 'she must be so happy and scared at the same time, she should know it's not going to be easy to heal but she can do it. The pain she feel is so strong but the desire to survive and move on will overcome' I don't know, I wish she had injected a little more 'realistic' view into this.

Dear Mr Anderson,

I think Tim had it right: We are a bunch of spoon fed monkeys.

Thank you for bringing us the Elizabeth Smart interview. I enjoyed hearing more from her.

I would like to suggest, however, that you do more educational info when you talk about topics like this. People were angry and didn't understand how people like Elizabeth Smart or Shawn Hornbeck can appear to be walking around freely while still under the control of their captors. People referred to "brainwashing", but no one mentioned anything about the well studied psychology behind events like this. Please use more educational info...tell them about "dissociation" and how it alters a person's conscious awareness. Inform people about the mental state that people who are abducted are in. Talk about how these captors are also definately mentally ill if they are doing something like this.

The remarks by Sylvia Flynt were just frightening. Poor Elizabeth will encounter people like her everyday in her life, yet she still speaks up. Now that's courage, it's also enough to keep you in a very delicate state. It's a miracle the girl still smiles.

And as for Kathleen Legler... Have you ever personally known a sex offender? Have you ever been inside a prison? I'd like to suggest that you volunteer in such a place...because that is where you will find your answers. And as for being an apathetic species, yes – we are. We're also extremely voyeristic, that's why we're obsessed with stories like this, and we're also all blind (dissociative) – that's how the Elizabeths and Shawns are right under our noses – and that's why these mentally ill abusers get away with it. You can keep locking them up, and you can lock them up forever, but there will always be another one tomorrow. That's because there is something wrong with society. Prisons are not the answer, only a bandaid designed to fool us into feeling better.

It always seemed like the Smart family was close and cared about their family. The fact that they are Mormons and have such restricted views on life makes me wonder what the Smart family life is really like. Regardless, she seems well-adjusted and happy. However, a
9 month abduction versus an 18 year abduction does not even compare in the least. Maybe the parents of the abducted children have something in common – the fear, worry, even torment of knowing their child is out there – somewhere. But I think that's where the comparisons end. It may even be insulting to compare the two stories as the Smart family could resume their lives in less than a year and the other family had to go on for nearly two decades without their daughter. I think Cooper could have done better to find a family that went through something a little more like Jaycee's family. Again, a little insulting to compare the two.
Stephanie

All you people who say that Elizabeth smart doesn't even compare...yeah you may be right but I would rather hear from her than someone like yourselves who tends to know something about everything, and how everything should work. Expierience is everything and I feel like no one can know someones heart and feelings perfectly except God. Why are we all so negative about everyone being wrong and all the screw ups. They both made it and I'm sure have felt similar during different situations they went through. Way to go to the both of them!! I feel inspired to hear from anyone who has been through harder things than myself and my family. I believe if we would all look for the positive in any situation there will be something there that we can learn from and gain happiness from!

im so glad that you back with your family.i hope that you elizabeth smart that things go alot better then it did before.i hope he goe's to hell for what he did to u when u where younger .he has taking u away when u where 8-year-old .u had been raped and through a lot of things u weny through .he has raped u and u had alot going now i hope u do,he had u in a tent and in a backyeard .he should go to hell for what he did to u.im so glad u got out when u had the chance.You are the lucky one to get away when u could.i known u had the lord looking after u.i hope for the best.

love lorie b.

Elizabeth Smart always appears as a Stepford wife. She is absolutely clueless about Jaycee's ordeal. The interview was painful to watch.

I agree with others who say these two stories can't really be compared.

I am almost the exact same age as Jaycee (she is exactly a week older than me). I remember being 11 in June of 1991. I would be starting Junior High that fall.. I was nervous, excited, etc.

I can NOT imagine having the life as I knew it cut short back then and turned into the isolated and emotionally crippling hell that this poor girl went through up until just this week? I think of all of the experiences (good and bad) I've been able to have in the last 18 years and how they have made me who I am today. I don't think any of us could possibly fathom what this has done to this girl mentally, and how incredibly difficult it is going to be for her to adjust to a "normal" life in today's society.

I feel incredibly sorry for her (and her children she was forced to have with this psychopath) and can only hope she and her children receive heavy counseling and support, and are able to VERY SLOWLY adjust to life in today's world.

Elizabeth Smart is poised and has a healthy approach to life, maybe moreso than someone who has never experienced such trauma!! You are right on, Elizabeth!!!

Thanks for the platform, Anderson.....................good show!!!

I think these people that kidnap children are so beyond comprehension. It's sick enough that it even happens but the wives are such active participants – It's simply unfathomable.

It's true these cases can't really be compared it the big picture. How can you possibly compare 9 months to 18 years and two children. But obviously something happens in these situations where the girls don't even try to escape and they basically become utterly dependent upon their kidnappers. It's a miracle that either of these girls were ever found.

I will say that Elizabeth seems strikingly young and naive at 21, particularly in light of what she endured. She does seem a bit automatic in her speech patterns and I question how "alright" she really is after 7 years later. Is it possible to be normal after enduring what she did for 9 months? I hope that she is still getting therapy and that one day she is able to have a normal life. And given that, how likely is it that Jaycee will ever really be okay after 18 years of captivity???

It's really unfortunate that this horrible man only served 11 years of his 50 year sentence and he was allowed back in society. Had he served his full sentence, Jaycee would never have had this happen to her. Perhaps it's time to re-examine what cases are allowed out early. I personally don't think people who create heinous crimes like this should be paroled.

Let's play the devil's advocate here for a moment:
– Suppose Jaycee states in court that she loves her captor?
– Suppose the two girls born to Jaycee both state that they love their father and wish to see him often and spend time with him, perhaps daily?
– Do the girls have a "right" to see and be with their father, if they desire?
– Does the father have any rights whatever? (Let's assume for the purpose of this and the above two questions that the two daughters are both virgins and were never molested!)
– We know that Jaycee is going to be brainwashed by government counselors, but suppose her mindset is to protect the only sexual partner she has ever known, as well as the father of her two children? What then?
– What happens if the wife claims she was "frightened to death" of this man?
– What happens if the two daughters go running to their father with tears of joy the first time they see him in court? Will they be jerked away from their father by police officials? Or will government counselors make sure this does NOT happen to begin with?
Very few people have made any discerning comments about the two daughters! This seems strange! Apparently, most people do not know what to think or say in the matter! As a father, I see at least just a little hint that this man wanted children. Could it be that any natural children would have been removed from a man with his record? Does our system of "tagging people for life" encourage this type of behavior? Are we sentencing a man to a life where he cannot have children or be a father, based on one incident? Suppose the man had been attacked by a female predator, who hated men, and wanted their money, plus punishment for ANY and ALL men? We know our justice system would believe everything the female said, but give NO credibility to the man's story! Our whole mentality in the American culture is based on revenge and vengeance! Everyone is guilty until proven innocent! People are convicted and found guilty in news reports before they ever enter a court room. Prosecutors, seeking quick promotion, send many innocent people to jail, with NO guilty conscious. The Illinois Governor has to commute all death-row sentences because of this! The USA has the largest percentage of it's population behind bars of any nation on earth! Shouldn't this automatically necessitate a review of our system? The fact that Jaycee and the two daughters were reported as being in good health, well fed, and with no apparent indicators of physical abuse, just might be something positive about this case, and just might point to a father who was playing out his "father syndrome," something he had been denied by our court system. Everyone who has commented so far has immediately jumped to conclusions! All of the facts are not yet known! We need to drop the "lynch-mob mentality" and be a bit more objective!

It is time for new laws regarding sex offenders. There should be mandatory searches of their property on a regular basis. All of their property – every inch of it, and their computers. They should also be under video surveillance that authorities can tap into (and at the offenders expense) at all times as a condition of parole.

The neighbors who turned a blind eye when they felt something was amiss at that house should be ashamed of themselves.

I hope that awareness is greater now because of this story and people will start to report odd behavior they notice their neighbors exhibiting and the police will FOLLOW UP ON ALL LEADS! Maybe victims who are waiting to be discovered will be!

Abuse is a horrible thing and there are some parts that one can never erase. I am recovering from 25 year verbal abusive marriage. It is a daily struggle. Thanks to the Lord, I was able to get out of it. Unfortunately, after so much, some things stay with you and daily one has to remind oneself–no more!

I pray for a complete recovery for this 29 year old and her family! All things are possible with the LORD.

I agree, that although both Ms. Smart and this other woman were abducted, there is a big difference in the amount of time that both were held in c aptivity; not to mention that one of them had two children by her abductor.

I will agree with Ms. Smart that the captivity should not defined who a person is, but it is a matter where the environment and the people who we are in contact on daily basis plays an important role in defining our perspective on life.

I am very glad and appreciative of the fact that Ms. Smart has a loving family, and counseling to help her overcome such a traversity which took place in her life.

On the other hand, this other woman and her two offspring by her abductor will face lifelong consequences as a result of their lack of social environment, health care, and education; but most of all their emotional well-being in order to relate and trust others.

No, this woman and her off-spring will never have a life that most of us enjoy today.

I can only hope and pray that she and her children will be able to make the most out of what remains of their lives.

Will their lives be stable? Only time, counseling, and much love from family members will tell.

will we see a 3rd unemployment extension before the end of this year ?

How ignorant to criticise Elizabeth and persecute her for telling her story!

The only people here who warrant criticism are the MONSTERS WHO TOOK THESE GIRLS! They are to blame – not these innocent children who were removed from their families through no fault of their own.

To those of you who want to undermine Elizabeth – stop and think for a minute how you would feel if you, your children or a family member were abducted for 9 minutes – let alone 9 months. Then maybe you will show some compassion.

This is not a competition about who had the worst experience. This is a tragedy for both young women. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.

LIke many others who commented -Sadly, I think there is a difference in the situation (9 months, 18 years). Also, Elizabeth was fortunate enough to go back to an intact wealthy family who could surround her with lots of support and counseling etc. I have always been happy for Elizabeth Smart that she had that support.

This poor woman lived her nightmare for 18 years, had two children, no schooling and I believe while she has returned to a loving mother and sister – I am sure that they don't have the resources and time to help her to the same extent that Elizabeth's parents have had. Although saying that I do think that Elizabeth can still speak to this situation more than any of us – since she did go through her own nightmare.

The Smart's do have a good message for Jaycee and for all of us and that is to try and go forward as positively as you can even when something horrific happens to you.

Heard a blurb of advertizing related to Organs For sale....black market,that is....well.That is not just happening in other countries.despite a enormous amount of effort to imply a random amount of donors with no profit to anyone..this is totally a lie! Every state in the US has level on trauma centers ,however, without a neuro surgery fellowship program...One pt can go to one facility and be saved...and then go to another facility and be a organ donor.These are explant centers instead of transplant ones..Its not rocket science my friend its cha cha chinging,Hourly reinbursement by the minute to remove the organs...

this story is sickening...i heard this morning that the guy who kidnapped her actually impregnated her, too. disgusting. this kind of thing must stop, people be vigilant with your kids!