Dad's Secret Dungeon: A Family's Nightmare

Grace Showvay's childhood in rural Illinois was marked by loving moments with her father, Chad Schipper, spent watching TV and discussing shared interests. However, this normalcy was shattered in February 2017 when police arrived, searching for Schipper. The family discovered he had kidnapped Connie and Larry Van Oosten, holding them captive in a soundproofed basement dungeon. Grace, then 14, recalled her father acting "mostly normal" but spending more time working prior to the incident. She had even assisted him by wrapping a sledgehammer with tape, a request she now understands was part of the crime. The Van Oostens were held for nearly three days, with Connie forced to withdraw $350,000 from a bank under duress. Through financial records, law enforcement traced the crime back to Schipper. Grace described the terror of police breaking into their home and her initial disbelief at her father's arrest. Her mother, Donielle, eventually revealed more details, including letters her father sent from jail under the pseudonym "Elouisa Mae," which finally convinced Grace of his guilt. The family, including Grace and her five siblings, have since changed their surname to Showvay to signify a new beginning. Donielle has remarried Billy Oliver, now Billy Oliver Showvay. New episodes of the show detailing this case air weekly.