Not everyone who is kidnapped or goes missing is found alive or recovered safely — but those who do sometimes have their own resourcefulness and quick thinking to thank for their survival.
In the event that you are held against your will or suspect that you are in danger of abduction, whether for ransom or for a kidnapper’s other nefarious purposes, maintain your composure to the best of your ability and remember these tips from law enforcement experts.
On Tuesday, a Massachusetts fugitive who gained notoriety as the “Bad Breath Rapist” was captured by U.S. Marshals after almost 17 years on the run.
He earned his distinctive nickname from one of his alleged victim’s keen recollection.
Tuen Kit Lee, now 55, was wearing a mask when he allegedly broke into the home of a server who worked at his family’s restaurant in Quincy, held her at knifepoint, zip-tied her to her own bed and sexually assaulted her, Fox News Digital previously reported.
His victim was able to identify the suspect by noting his distinctively bad breath, and he was charged with kidnapping and raping the woman in 2005.
He fled sentencing, but will serve out his sentence and face additional charges after his capture this week.
It is crucial to recall small details about your setting and kidnapper, even if you are overpowered or blindfolded.
But ultimately, the best way to stay safe is to remain vigilant to prevent a kidnapping entirely.
1. Maintain situational awareness
Former FBI Special Agent Bill Daly told Fox News Digital that it’s imperative to stay alert, even on routes that you regularly take and places you frequent.
Daly said that you should never let any stranger within 5 feet, or arm’s reach.
“In a downtown area, that’s different,” Daly said.
“If it’s a congested area, odds are you aren’t going to be abducted. If you’re in a secluded area, the potential for abduction is more serious.”
“How would you be unaware of your immediate environment? Simple things like headphones, earpods, being on the phone,” Daly said.
“People tune out walking down the sidewalk. I get it, but if you don’t know the area, you need to unplug.”
Part of maintaining situational awareness is knowing when it’s best to avoid certain routes or time of day, according to former Secret Service agent and Lake Forest Group founder and CEO Michael Verden.
“We had a tragedy at the University of Georgia where nursing student Laken Riley was murdered [while jogging] alone,” Verden recalled.
“I don’t want to sound like a chauvinist, but if you’re a woman and you’re by yourself, you’re a victim.”
Daly also noted that you shouldn’t get into a car driven by anyone you don’t know — even if it’s a marked taxi.
“People get abducted at airports, they get into a cab and it’s not a cab,” Daly said, specifying that most of these cases take place outside the U.S.
“I do a lot of travel. When I come out of the airport, I’m either calling Uber or Lyft. I don’t care if it looks like a cab, I don’t know if it is one, unless you go to a cab stand.”
2. Cause a commotion — and don’t get taken to a second location
Daly told Fox News Digital that you should do anything in your power to keep a would-be abductor from taking you to a second location — and that the first few moments of an abduction are the most crucial.
“As soon as you know it’s somebody confronting you in the parking lot or trying to carjack you, or if you realize that you’ve gotten into a vehicle, the best thing is to get out of that position rather than think, ‘Maybe I can get out of this at another location,’” Daly said.
“There’s a better chance that you won’t be harmed in a public place than somewhere more secluded.”
The former FBI special agent said that most kidnappings within the U.S. are not for ransom, and instead are for “sexual assault or violence that may result in your demise.”
“You have to scream or yell to draw attention to yourself,” Daly said.
“If you’re in a secluded area, it’s in your best interests to fight back.”
On the other hand, Verden said that it’s important to know when you’re overpowered.
At that point, continuing to fight can make the situation worse.
“If it’s a woman and the guy is twice her size, she can fight, but there is a point of no return or diminished returns — you can make it worse,” Verden said.
“I do a lot of training pro bono at schools. I can’t tell a third-grader to fight a person with a gun, but I will tell an adult to fight a person with a gun.”
If you are forced into a vehicle, Daly suggested creating a commotion at traffic lights and trying to get the attention of other drivers, if possible.
Although it will take more than one blow, he said, it is possible to break a car window with the metal piece of a seat belt.
Although it’s much harder to escape from the trunk of a car, some models have rear headlights that can be reached from inside the vehicle and can be kicked out, allowing a victim to stick their hand outside and wave for help.
3. If you fall into the clutches of the abductor, keep tabs on your surroundings
Even if you are blindfolded, taking note of where you’re being taken and who has kidnapped you could help you escape, or provide crucial information to police like the Bad Breath Rapist’s victim did.
“If you’re in the trunk of a vehicle, you need to be aware of what happens outside,” Verden told Fox News Digital.
“If the car turns, how many turns did that car make? That’s critical in determining where you’re being taken to.”
“Listen for anything nearby: Is there a train nearby, is there traffic nearby? Any type of sound you can pick up on, make a mental note of it,” Verden said.
“If you smell anything, a paper mill or a bakery, those are all important. Are you in a rural setting? An urban setting?”
“Why did this person abduct you? Is it for ransom, or is it sexual assault? Knowing that may be helpful, too,” Verden said.
“If it’s for ransom, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If a person is abducting you and the only purpose is to harm you, now you need to fight.”
In a situation where you are held against your will in your own home, an awareness of your surroundings may also help you make an escape.
4. Maintain your composure.
Although a kidnapping is undeniably a high-stress situation, staying as calm as possible can increase your chances of escaping unharmed, both experts said.
“If you’re still cognizant, you still have all your faculties,” Verden said.
“If you maintain your composure, as opposed to crying or yelling at the kidnapper, the kidnapper is going to see that. That could help the victim’s relationship with the abductor.”
Preparing yourself for the worst can help you stay composed in the worst-case scenario.
Verden recommends everyone take self-defense classes, set up and practice using emergency services on your cellphone and learning a viral hand gesture to clandestinely show others that you need help.
The “Signal For Help” was created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, a public organization focused on gender equality, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The signal is used as a simple and discreet way for people to show that they need help, particularly in domestic abuse situations.
The prompt is made by facing your palm outward and placing your thumb on the palm of your hand while bringing your fingers over the thumb to “trap” it.
5. Utilize your phone, if possible
Earlier this month, a Texas woman stranded along the roadside with a flat tire was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a suspect who pulled over and offered to assist, Fox News Digital previously reported.
A male suspect lured her into the car under the guise of taking her to get a replacement tire, used the child lock to keep her inside the vehicle and then assaulted her in his apartment complex parking lot nearby, police said.
Before she was able to escape the vehicle, the woman sent her location to a friend.
Police in Austin said that this expedited the process of finding her once she escaped from the vehicle.
In your emergency settings, Verden said, you should set up emergency services, or a speed dial option for 911.
In the event that you are kidnapped and still have your phone on your person, you can call authorities or a loved one and “keep the phone line open so the person on the other end can hear what’s going on,” Verden said.
The majority of kidnapping victims in the U.S. are children. A child is abducted or goes missing in the U.S. every 40 seconds, per FBI data.
Daly recommended that parents download the FBI’s Child ID app, which allows you to store photos and information that you can share with police in the event that your child goes missing and provides specific guidance on what to do in the first crucial hours after the child goes missing.
