The Chilling Details of Elisabeth Fritzl Being Held Captive for 24 Years

Nothing Adds Up

The fake letter explained Kerstin’s medical condition and also claimed that Elisabeth planned to return home with her three other children soon. This way, Josef could let Elisabeth and the three downstairs children out of the basement and have a plausible reason for their return. However, everything did not go according to plan. Investigators determined that the letter seemed dictated and that the handwriting was too well constructed for it to be written by someone who was allegedly in Elisabeth’s position. Additionally, after going to the town from where the letter was sent, authorities could find no trace of the religious sect Elisabeth had allegedly joined and began to question whether it existed at all.

The First Day Of Freedom

Allowing his daughter to resurface to the outside world on April 26, 2008, Josef snuck Elisabeth and their three incest children out of their basement dungeon while Rosemarie and the other three children were away. Later that day, police were notified that three “suspicious individuals” visited Kerstin at the hospital. Police arrived at the scene in time to catch Josef Fritzl and Elisabeth, who were both taken in for questioning. At first, Elisabeth didn’t want to talk but opened up to the authorities after she was promised she would never have to see her father again. After gaining Elisabeth’s trust and reassuring her that her children and mother would be taken care of, she told them her horrific story.