Today, in a courtroom in California, Phillip and Nancy Garrido plead guilty to the abduction of Jaycee Dugard and other related charges and finally brought some closure to a nightmare situation that began twenty years ago.  The couple will now spend the rest of their lives in prison, a sentence they will officially receive from the court in June, and Jaycee and her daughters will be spared the emotional trauma of having to sit in front of a jury, a judge, and their abductors to testify about the years of abuse they endured.

I am sure all of you are familiar with this case, and I have written several posts about this amazing story on the blog previously.  Everyone was stunned when Jaycee Dugard was found alive in 2009 after being kidnapped from her own neighborhood back in 1991, and then felt even more shock as details of her time imprisoned at the will of the Garridos came to light, including the two children fathered by Phillip Garrido (now both teenagers and older than their mom when she was abducted). 

Since reuniting with her family almost two years ago, Jaycee has successfully stayed out of the public eye despite international interest in how she is doing and what her emotional and mental state must be in light of her years spent as a captive.  Even today, she just released a brief statement expressing her happiness at the decision by the Garridos to admit to the crimes they had committed.  I am glad that she has been able to move through what is certain to be a lifelong healing process with some sense of privacy. 

I am thankful that the Garridos decided to enter guilty pleas, as it previously seemed that at least Phillip Garrido would not admit to the charges against him, and that this chapter of Jaycee Dugard’s life story can be closed.