On September 6, 2006, 14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf was kidnapped by Vinson Filyaw while walking home from her bus stop. Shoaf was held captive in an underground bunker for ten days before authorities found her. Police were alerted to Shoaf's general whereabouts after she used Filaw's cell phone to send a text message to her mother.
Television Appearance
On March 7, 2008, NBC's Dateline aired a two-hour special about Shoaf's story called "Into the Woods." The special featured correspondent Keith Morrison speaking with several people involved in the case, including Elizabeth Shoaf, her parents, law enforcement agents and Vinson Filyaw.
Quote
"I think that Vinson, the man that kidnapped me, is just stupid. He isn’t crazy because if he was, he would have killed me or done something worse. He knew what he was doing and he got outsmarted. Not to be snobby, but he thought he could get away with kidnapping and raping me for 10 days and I, 14 years old, outsmarted him - a 36-year-old man." MSNBC: Kidnapped Teen: 'Bunker was Hell' (March 6, 2008)
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
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Fact:
Filyaw raped Shoaf several times
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Fact:
Filyaw was sentenced to 421 years in prison
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Fact:
Police were already searching for Filyaw on an unrelated charge of criminal sexual conduct
