After twenty years, a brave Katie Beers now comes forward with her horrific and inspirational true life story — a story she hopes will help those suffering from violence and abuse. Read on for more details.
When Katie Beers, 30, was just 10-year-old, living in Long Island, she was kidnapped, made into a sex slave and forced to live in a dungeon. Until now, the only public words we ever heard from Katie were back in 1993 in a frightful phone message, "Aunt Linda, a man kidnapped me and has a knife, and oh no, here he comes right now.”
Fast forward 20 years, Katie now shares her riveting story with her new book Buried Memories: Katie Beers’ Story, which was released on Jan. 14.
Why Katie Beers Is Sharing Her Story
Katie, who is now married and a mother of two, told WCBS-TV, ”I was more concerned with trying to get free and trying to survive. Looking back, it's amazing to learn of the support I had from everybody.The remembering has been difficult because I buried it for so long.”
“I'm in a more mature place. With hindsight it is easier to recall things. My life now, I'm married, work full-time, and have two beautiful children," she said.
Kidnapping & Sexual Abuse
Just one day before her 10th birthday, the young Katie was kidnapped by her then neighbor John Esposito, who held her in captivity for 17 grueling days. According to the Daily Mail, who has a copy of the book, Katie was forced to live in chains in an underground hole which was two-feet wide, seven-feet long and three-feet high. Something like out of The Silence of The Lambs, one FBI agent later described.
“I told him if he would release me I would run away and not tell the police," Katie said. "I remember asking John how I would have children. He said I'd have children with him. I said no.”
Her captor finally gave himself in, and is now serving a 15 years prison term. Should be longer!
Katie’s Violent Home Life Prior To Kidnapping
Prior to being kidnapped, Katie lived in her own hell of emotional and sexual abuse. Her mother Marilyn Beers neglected her, and often left her in the care of her Godmother and her husband–Linda and Sal Inghilleri–who treated her like a “slave”. She was repeatedly raped by Sal, who was later sent to prison, where he died in 2009.
In the book, Katie says of her kidnapping ordeal, “Being abducted was, unfortunately, the best thing that happened to me, because it got me out of the abusive situation”.
Katie’s Miraculous Road to Recovery & Her Inspirational Message
When she was freed, Katie was adopted by a couple in East Hampton, New York, who showered her with love and care.
“I owe them my life”, Katie says of her foster parents. “But you never fully recover. It’s with me every day, but it’s something I’ve learned to cope with.”
Katie also credits her husband, children, therapists, and graduating college for helping her with her incredible recovery.
"I just believe that if you are in an abusive situation, emotional, physical, sexual, spousal, whatever it might be, you need to get out of that situation," Katie said. “Find somebody to talk to, because if I didn't have somebody to talk to about the abuse I sustained, my life would be a completely different situation."
We are in such awe of this courageous person and thank Katie Beers from the bottom of our hearts for her inspiration and words of hope. There is always help for people who are being abused. Are YOU inspired by Katie’s story, HollywoodLifers?
–Sandra Clark
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