The Tragic Story of Rosalynn McGinnis, Who Was Kidnapped, Raped and Held Captive by Her Stepfather
Tags: Kidnappings, True Crime, Missing Persons, True Story, Crime

The Tragic Story of Rosalynn McGinnis, Who Was Kidnapped, Raped and Held Captive by Her Stepfather

She was kidnapped by her stepfather as a child in Oklahoma, held captive for 19 years until she had 9 children

Rosalynn McGinnis’s kidnapping, which took place from 1997 to 2016, is sure to go down in history as one of the most notorious kidnapping cases — because she managed to escape.

Rosalynn McGinnis was kidnapped at the age of 12 by her stepfather Henri Piette. She has also been giving birth to their nine children for nearly two decades, and McGinnis managed to escape one day. It was almost a year before the authorities finally arrested the man she knew as the stepfather, kidnapper, and father of her children.

But thanks to a husband and wife who are observant of the oddities they see in McGinnis’ life, they quickly help her escaped after nearly two decades of torture. Finally, McGinnis was reunited with his family in Kansas City, Missouri.

Rosalynn McGinnis

McGinnis grew up in Springfield, Missouri, in a house only a few blocks from the park where she played with her siblings and friends. She studied violin because she dreamed of becoming a violin teacher, but apart from that, little McGinnis also wanted to be a veterinarian.

Piette had lived near the McGinnis in Springfield. McGinnis said her mother, Gayla, met Piette while distributing flyers that were part of an environmental group activity. She said the two quickly became friends and ended up getting married.

McGinnis’ new life in Oklahoma quickly took a dire turn when Piette started harassing her when she was just ten years old.

McGinnis Was Forced To Marry His Stepfather In The Back Of The Van

Henri Michele Piette carried out the kidnapping, and he tricked Rosalynn, who was 11 at the time, by performing a wedding ceremony for the two of them in the back of a van.

Piette also forced her 15-year-old daughter to take on the roles of priest and witness. He married Rosalynn and even gave her a ring to make it look official. What makes this even more disturbing was that this unofficial marriage took place months before Rosalynn was kidnapped and only one day before Piette was supposed to marry Rosalynn’s mother.

Piette first started sexually abusing Rosalynn at her home in Wagoner, when she was only 10/11 years old when he climbed into her bed and raped her.

And at the same time, Rosalynn’s mother was also abused by Piette. After many unsuccessful attempts to escape from their home, Rosalynn and her mother finally moved and found a women’s sanctuary where they began to rebuild their new life. Unfortunately, their new life was short-lived, as that year, Rosalynn was kidnapped from her new school in Poteau and forced into the back of a van, with no hope of escape.

The Disappearance Of McGinnis

According to documents obtained from the Poteau Police Department, a man picked McGinnis from school and drove off in a small gray car. It was January 31, 1997.

According to McGinnis, on the day Piette picked him up at school, the man had dyed his hair black and was wearing fake glasses to disguise his appearance. Piette also went on to change McGinnis’ name several times over the years.

Of course, her mother looked for her and announced in every media and Child Search Ministries immediately circulated missing person flyers with photos, age, and date of McGinnis disappearance.

Weeks passed, and searchers failed to find McGinnis and Piette. The search finally stopped shortly before McGinnis’ 13th birthday.

Missing person flyers

McGinnis Gave Birth To 9 Children

During the nearly 19 years she was kidnapped by her stepfather, McGinnis gave birth to nine of Piette’s children — and none of them know what their mother went through.

To protect her children from the terrible reality and truth, Rosalynn kept her kidnapping and sexual abuse a secret. She raised them and suffered the abuse and torture she had endured. The children only learned the true truth after they managed to escape and be saved.

The Isolated Life Of McGinnis

McGinnis was 15 years old when she gave birth to her first child with Piette — a baby boy born in the back of the van. At that time, they lived in a shabby little mobile house with weathered floors and no utilities.

McGinnis said she was forced to beg on the streets for food for her children because Piette squandered the money they raised on alcohol and drugs.

McGinnis said she tried to escape several times but, “when I was caught, the risk was much greater. Finally, at one point in time, it didn’t affect me anymore, because I got used to it.” she said.

She also said that Piette would always beat her with a rifle, baseball bat, wooden planks, and beer bottles. He shot her several times, and she suffered several fractures.

McGinnis New Hope

While in despair because, for nearly two decades, living in gloom, a new hope was rekindled.

In early 2016, 19 years after she was kidnapped from the Oklahoma high school, McGinnis and her children met a married couple while living in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Lisa was a US citizen and her husband Ian was British.

McGinnis tells them her name was Stephanie, and Piette was named Bill.

Lisa later described the first time she met McGinnis at a local supermarket.

“We got in line, and they were in front of us,” said Lisa.

“They have two big baskets of groceries. One of them was filled with a stock of meat, which the children later told Lisa if it was all for Piette personally. And at that time, they could not pay at the cashier. They were short of money, so Ian and Lisa gave them money.

Lisa said that the McGinnis children hardly ever put on their shoes and the kids seemed hard to talk to. And they really don’t want to say anything to Lisa until the children get to know Lisa and her husband better. And they also know that talking to strangers was something forbidden in the family. When Lisa and Ian become friends with McGinnis and the children, Piette seems to be deliberately moving away by taking her family to move to a small, isolated village in Oaxaca's mountains. But Lisa and her husband managed to track them.

Lisa and Ian kept their communications going, until at last, one time, they visited the McGinnis family and got them nervous.

“When we stopped at the car, children were hanging in front of the balcony,” said Lisa.

“[McGinnis] looked really desperate, and I realized how remote they live. They are alone. “

“And that’s when my mind changed,” said Lisa.

“That’s when I said, ‘Something’s wrong.’ We had to help them because something was wrong with this situation. “

Lisa called McGinnis, and after confirming Piette wasn’t there, she told her, “we know something’s wrong. If we can drag your husband to jail or rehab, to drug and alcohol addicts, we’ll help you. And at that moment, Piette comes home, and we hang up. And that’s all I ever said.”

They Ran Away

Several weeks passed, and one day, when Piette was unconscious with a hangover, McGinnis had the children pack some clothes and put them in a bag. They run away. McGinnis and her eight children had already fled and returned to the United States by then — took a taxi and set off to find Lisa and Ian. But the couple had moved house, but luckily, McGinnis and Ian passed each other while he was walking the dog for a walk.

Lisa and Ian accommodate the family in their home. McGinnis slowly began to tell Lisa all her suffering. She said that not a day goes by without being beaten or raped or both. McGinnis also shared that her name was not Stephanie and Bill was not Piette’s name (when they first met, Piette introduced them as Stephanie and Bill). She told them that her real name was Rosalynn McGinnis. To her surprise, Lisa typed Rosalynn McGinnis’s name into Google on her computer, and a poster of missing persons McGinnis appeared.

“I’ve been waiting all this time, and I have nothing to say. You’re the first person ever to notice that something was wrong and do something, and I’m very grateful,” says McGinnis.

Back Home

Worried that Piette will come looking for her and the child, McGinnis contacted the US Consulate in Oaxaca, who agreed to help. After a few days, McGinnis and her children got into the back of a fruit truck to travel for hours to the US consulate. But unfortunately, things weren’t that easy. When the family arrived in Oaxaca, the US Consulate could not help. Frantically and aimlessly, McGinnis again called Lisa, who then called the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Washington, DC. The organization searched for McGinnis’ name and saw she was still listed as missing. NCMEC told them to travel north by bus to Nogales, near the US-Mexico border. McGinnis d her children made a long journey. They then fly through Tucson and Dallas to be reunited with a long lost family in Kansas City.

News Of McGinnis’ Return Shocked The Family

While McGinnis was excited about her newfound freedom, it wasn’t an easy transition for McGinnis and the kids in 2016. The family has very little money and was still adapting to US culture. Even for the little things, like adjusting to American food. It was also a struggle. But there was one other fact that burdened McGinnis. The fact that Piette was still somewhere free.

After McGinnis’ story appeared in People Magazine in September 2017, law enforcement arrested Piette when he tried to enter the US.

He was extradited to Oklahoma, where he was indicted in federal court on one count of kidnapping and one count of traveling with the intent to commit sexual acts with a teenager.

Piette was sentenced and also included a fine of $ 50,000, as well as a payment of $ 50,067 in restitution to his victim.

Fortunately, there was help and support for McGinnis from a young woman who has experienced similar trauma. Jaycee Dugard who also spent 18 years of her life kidnapped in California before being rescued in 2009. She opened the JAYC Foundation, which assists victims of long-term sexual abuse.

McGinnis and her children moved into the house they finally owned.

“I want my kids to have a life I never had, including a house to live in,” said McGinnis. Meanwhile, Lisa and Ian also remain a part of their lives, keeping in touch with the children every week and discussing their days and future plans.