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Captives Turned Allies: How Two Teens Outsmarted Their Kidnapper
9 Nov
Summary
- Tamara Brooks, 16, and Jacque Marris, 17, were abducted together in 2002
- They banded together to escape their captor, a career criminal named Roy Ratliff
- The girls used a Bowie knife and a bottle to fight back against Ratliff
In August 2002, 16-year-old Tamara Brooks and 17-year-old Jacque Marris, who had never met before, found themselves thrust into a terrifying ordeal that would bond them for life. The two high school students were abducted by Roy Ratliff, a 37-year-old career criminal who was wanted on a rape charge.
Ratliff first targeted Brooks and her friend Eric Brown, forcing them into Brown's stolen Ford Bronco. He then set his sights on Marris and her friend Frank Melero, taking them as well. With the girls bound and gagged, Marris and Brooks quickly realized they needed to work together to escape.
The duo devised a plan, with Marris grabbing a Bowie knife and stabbing Ratliff while Brooks bashed him in the face with a bottle. They managed to push Ratliff out of the car, but he had only been wounded. After a tense standoff, the girls were forced to let him back in, fearing for their lives.
As the stolen Bronco sped down the road, someone spotted the vehicle and alerted the authorities. Police soon surrounded the car, and in a dramatic conclusion, Ratliff was fatally shot by officers after he raised his gun. The 12-hour ordeal had come to an end, with Marris and Brooks emerging as allies who had supported each other through the harrowing experience.
