0:00
When this couple set out on their
0:01
honeymoon, nobody expected it to turn
0:03
out this horribly. They said goodbye at
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the airport and promised to keep
0:07
everyone updated throughout the trip.
0:08
But suddenly, the couple disappeared for
0:11
seven long years. And when they
0:13
mysteriously reemerged, the woman gave a
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shocking confession. But before we
0:17
start, smash the like button and make
0:19
sure to subscribe if you haven't and hit
0:21
that notification bell so that you won't
0:23
miss any new stories. At the start of
0:25
this bizarre journey, Judith and Andrew
0:27
were just a happy married couple being
0:29
dropped off at the airport by their
0:31
parents. Egypt was the destination for
0:33
their honeymoon, but their parents
0:35
didn't realize that this would be the
0:36
last time they would see their kids in 7
0:39
years. The couple promised to inform
0:41
their parents and friends throughout
0:43
their trip to Egypt. They waved goodbye
0:45
with a broad smile as they boarded the
0:47
plane through the airport gates. And for
0:49
the first few days, they made good on
0:51
their promise. Updates kept flooding in
0:53
with mesmerizing pictures of their
0:55
surroundings. But then out of nowhere,
0:57
everything stopped. This picture was the
1:00
last photo sent to Judith's mother's
1:02
cell phone on the second day of the
1:03
honeymoon trip. And after that seemingly
1:05
innocent moment, there was nothing but
1:07
silence. There were no pictures, no
1:10
interesting stories about ongoing
1:11
adventures in Egypt. Absolutely nothing
1:14
was heard. Both Judith's and Andrews's
1:16
parents talked to one another about this
1:18
behavior change and came to the
1:20
conclusion that the couple was probably
1:22
just busy. It was their honeymoon after
1:24
all, and they were meant to enjoy it.
1:26
But on the day of return, panic hit hard
1:28
with everyone involved. The plane
1:31
arrived on the tarmac at 2 0 p.m.
1:34
Eastern time. But when the large Boeing
1:38
opened its doors and its passengers got
1:40
out, Judith and Andrew were nowhere to
1:42
be seen. One by one, the plane emptied
1:45
until there was no one left. But still,
1:48
no newlywed couple stepped out. After
1:50
the gate eventually closed, the worried
1:52
parents went to the help desk for
1:54
answers. Behind that counter, a staff
1:56
member of the airline sat. Both parents
1:58
nervously questioned the uniformed woman
2:00
to look into this. But the answer she
2:02
came up with added even more tension to
2:04
the situation. Both Judith and Andrew
2:07
never checked into the plane. According
2:09
to the company's computer system, the
2:11
plane left Egypt with every chair filled
2:14
except for the one reserved for their
2:15
offspring. Worries grew within the two
2:17
families, and they tried everything they
2:20
could to get in touch with Judith and
2:22
Andrew. The first thought was to call
2:23
their closest friends, but they also
2:25
heard nothing after that last picture.
2:27
The hotel in Egypt was their next safe
2:30
bet. At that point, both families still
2:32
held on to a grain of hope. But that
2:34
hope was extinguished by the news the
2:36
hotel clerk provided over the phone.
2:39
According to the hotel clerk in Egypt,
2:41
the couple arrived a little over a week
2:43
ago, which sounded right. Judith and
2:45
Andrew checked into the hotel and were
2:47
seen for the first few days, but when it
2:49
was time to check out, they never
2:51
showed. But the clerk said something
2:52
much more problematic after that. The
2:55
female worker stated that she ordered
2:57
staff members to check their room at the
2:58
end of the day since they were
3:00
overstaying their welcome. Apparently,
3:02
Judith and Andrew disappeared without
3:04
taking anything with them. All their
3:06
belongings were still inside the hotel
3:08
room, making it look like they vanished
3:11
into thin air. After that disturbing
3:12
news, things got serious. They had to
3:14
contact the authorities in Egypt. Phone
3:17
calls were made, but with a
3:18
disappointing result. The police over
3:20
there didn't seem to take the case
3:21
seriously and calmly stated that they
3:23
would look into it. Words that came
3:25
across as untrustworthy. There was only
3:27
one thing the group of parents could do.
3:29
They had to search for answers and find
3:31
their children in Egypt themselves. Both
3:33
fathers agreed to set out on this
3:35
mission together. While the mothers got
3:37
busy back in America, they hung up
3:38
missing posters and used the media to
3:40
get nationwide attention. Unfortunately
3:42
for both mothers, their search quickly
3:45
hit a dead end. Their hotline ran cold
3:47
quickly, making all hope of solving this
3:49
case fall on the shoulders of the two
3:51
fathers searching in Egypt. The worried
3:53
men started their search at the hotel
3:55
where their children stayed. Upon
3:56
arriving, they were greeted by the
3:58
clerk. The same woman who spoke to them
4:00
on the phone was happy to help out.
4:02
Understanding their concern. The two men
4:04
were guided to Judith and Andrew's
4:06
former room. It was indeed filled with
4:08
their belongings. Even their passports
4:10
were found, making it extremely unlikely
4:12
that they left on their own regards. It
4:14
was a worrisome sight, but both fathers
4:17
tried to give themselves hope by
4:18
thinking that without their passports,
4:21
they couldn't leave the country. They
4:22
were still in Egypt and probably hadn't
4:24
gotten far. But what they didn't know at
4:26
the time was that this case was far more
4:29
complex than they ever imagined. The
4:31
next stop was the local police station.
4:33
But both fathers didn't hold much hope
4:35
for cooperation after their last phone
4:37
call. And they were right because the
4:39
policemen were far from interested and
4:41
only stated that Judith and Andrew would
4:43
probably show up eventually. The cops in
4:45
Egypt weren't going to help. The two
4:47
fathers were on their own and after a
4:49
month-long search, they did not find a
4:51
single clue to their whereabouts. Both
4:53
parents searched a vast area around the
4:56
hotel, but eventually had to return home
4:58
defeated. The families never gave up
5:00
hope, but a painful seven years passed
5:02
without a single word. Back home, the
5:05
police dug around for a while, but after
5:07
a couple of years, the case was labeled
5:09
cold until one day, after 7 years, the
5:13
phone rang in the home of Judith's
5:15
parents. Judith's mom answered the call,
5:17
and when she heard it was the police,
5:19
her eyes widened. The police ordered
5:21
Judith's mother to listen closely since
5:23
they had news about their daughter and
5:25
son-in-law. According to the uniformed
5:26
man, the police found the couple this
5:28
very morning in a remote parking lot
5:30
somewhere in the United States. This
5:32
unexpected news sends shivers down the
5:35
worried mother's spine. Judith's parents
5:37
almost considered the probability of
5:38
seeing their daughter again impossible.
5:40
So, the fact that they were now found
5:42
and on solid ground in America was
5:45
insane. Judith's mother quickly called
5:48
her husband over and together they
5:50
listened to the officer's words. how,
5:53
what, where, where their hastened words.
5:56
The police officer calmly explained over
5:58
the phone that the case was too complex
6:01
to explain like this. So, he had a
6:03
different proposition. He asked Judith's
6:05
parents to come to the police station to
6:07
witness and hear from their daughter
6:08
themselves because Judith was already
6:11
there and brought to the station. That
6:12
didn't have to be said twice to the two
6:14
worried parents. After a few final
6:16
words, the phone was hung up and the
6:19
worried parents rushed to their car. The
6:21
car was placed in gear and as quickly as
6:23
possible, the duo raced to the police
6:25
station. On the way over, their thoughts
6:27
wandered. The two parents speculated the
6:30
entire trip, trying to think of ways to
6:32
understand where their daughter and her
6:34
husband had been these 7 years. But they
6:36
could not come up with a single answer
6:38
that made sense. But that was all about
6:40
the change because the station came in
6:42
view after 10 minutes. When Judith's
6:45
parents arrived at the police station,
6:46
they saw that the car belonging to
6:48
Andrew's parents' car was already there.
6:50
It was logical for the police to also
6:52
inform them, and Judith's mom knew they
6:54
must have been just as delighted as she
6:56
was. She stepped inside with tearfilled
6:58
eyes. After the doors of the police
7:00
station closed behind them, both
7:02
Judith's mother and father saw their
7:04
daughter instantly. Judith was sitting
7:06
in an interrogation room with her
7:08
husband. They looked feral and scared,
7:10
which made Judith's mother's desire for
7:12
a quick reunion even more intense. But
7:15
there was a problem. But things could
7:17
not go her way. Unfortunately, Judith's
7:20
mother looked to the right and saw
7:21
Andrew's parents sitting on a side
7:23
bench. They were both crying and stated
7:25
that policemen wouldn't let them inside
7:27
the interrogation room, and this
7:28
statement was confirmed by the officer
7:30
who came by to address the worried
7:32
parents. The policeman greeted them all
7:34
and recapped the strange nature of
7:36
Judith's and Andrews discovery. He
7:38
explained that a gas station operator
7:40
had spotted the couple earlier this
7:42
morning. The worker found them
7:43
completely disorientated, laying face
7:45
down on the station's parking lot about
7:47
two towns over. And that wasn't all. The
7:50
weirdness continued because the officer
7:52
added that the couple was dressed in
7:53
thin summer clothing while it was -5°
7:56
outside. The two were in bad shape and
7:59
were suffering from severe hypothermia.
8:01
These words caused all four parents to
8:03
increase their anxiety, and they
8:04
demanded access to the room immediately.
8:07
The officer obliged, stating that he
8:09
only wanted to wait until they got the
8:11
whole story from the kids. But now that
8:14
this was done, and all four parents had
8:16
arrived, it was time for them to enter
8:18
the interrogation room. However, they
8:20
were ordered to stand against the wall
8:22
until Judith finished her story. As the
8:24
teareyed parents entered the room, they
8:26
looked at their children in disbelief.
8:29
They looked like they went through some
8:30
serious hardship, and in a moment,
8:33
everyone would find out why. The police
8:35
officer calmly asked Judith to explain
8:37
the full story to her parents just like
8:40
she did with him. Judith wiped away some
8:42
tears and started recounting everything.
8:44
She explained how she and her husband
8:46
Andrew had been left at that parking lot
8:48
blindfolded and bound. After hours of
8:50
struggling, they freed themselves and a
8:53
gas station operator eventually found
8:55
them. But before that, they had been
8:57
held captive for over 7 years. The man
9:00
who kidnapped them had followed them all
9:01
the way to Egypt before abducting them.
9:04
That man was Victor Porttera dangerous
9:06
lone shark with deep criminal ties.
9:09
Judith admitted that it was all her
9:11
fault. After college, Judith developed a
9:13
gambling problem and soon found herself
9:15
deep in debt. Victor kept loaning her
9:18
money at predatory rates until she was
9:20
trapped, unable to repay. Eventually,
9:22
Victor put his plan into motion. He
9:25
followed the couple to Egypt where they
9:27
were abducted and secretly flown back to
9:29
the US where they were held in a remote
9:31
warehouse. Victor didn't just want his
9:34
money back. He wanted leverage. The
9:36
couple was kept blindfolded and isolated
9:39
most of the time. Occasionally, Judith's
9:41
blindfold would be removedly when she
9:43
had to carry out part of Victor's
9:45
scheme. Victor created a dating profile
9:48
using Judith's identity on a website for
9:50
wealthy men. She was used to lure
9:51
unsuspecting victims into a trap. These
9:54
men would arrive at a designated
9:56
location expecting a date, only to be
9:58
ambushed by Victor's men. They were
10:00
either robbed or blackmailed and Victor
10:03
profited immensely. Judith's parents
10:05
were horrified. They asked why she
10:07
didn't just refuse. Judith said she
10:10
would have taken the punishment alone.
10:12
But Andrew's life was also on the line.
10:14
She agreed to help Victor in exchange
10:16
for promises that each successful scam
10:18
would reduce her debt. For 7 years, she
10:21
played her part, always hoping it would
10:23
end. Eventually, the debt was cleared.
10:26
Despite being a criminal, Victor kept
10:28
his word. The couple was blindfolded and
10:31
dropped off at the parking lot where
10:32
they were later discovered. The police
10:34
officer explained that Victor made one
10:36
fatal error. Judith's blindfold wasn't
10:39
tight enough. She saw a sign on the
10:41
warehouse that helped investigators
10:43
locate the exact place of their
10:45
captivity. As he finished explaining, a
10:47
voice crackled over the police radio.
10:50
We've got them. It's over. Judith and
10:52
Andrew broke down in tears. Finally able
10:54
to hug their parents. After all these
10:56
years, they were safe and could finally
10:59
breathe again. About a month later,
11:01
Judith and Andrew faced Victor again,
11:03
but this time in court. They testified,
11:06
revealing everything they had endured.
11:08
It was difficult, but the judge
11:10
understood Judith's actions were forced.
11:12
The trial ended in victory. Victor and
11:14
his men were sentenced to life in
11:16
prison, never to harm anyone again.
11:18
Judith was fully absolved. Victims of
11:20
the scam would be compensated and the
11:23
future finally looked bright