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Kidnapped Mother's Brave Escape Saves Her Children from Sadistic Captor
27 Aug
Summary
- Florida mother abducted with her young children at church
- Endured sexual assault, torture, and threats to her family
- Escaped her captor and helped authorities capture him

In October 2002, 31-year-old Julie Weil was abducted with her 3-year-old daughter and 8-month-old son outside their church in Florida. Her captor, Michael Siebert, had recently been released from prison and targeted Julie, violently assaulting her and threatening to kill her children.
Over the course of the horrific ordeal, Siebert sexually assaulted Julie multiple times, even forcing her young daughter to witness the abuse. He drove the family to the Everglades, where he continued to torment and rape Julie while holding her children hostage.
Despite the trauma, Julie managed to escape Siebert's grasp and make her way to her parents' home, where she called the police. Authorities were unable to immediately identify Siebert, but three months later, he was arrested for a separate domestic violence incident, and his DNA matched the evidence from Julie's case.
Siebert confessed to abducting and assaulting Julie, as well as three other women in the Miami area. He was sentenced to seven life sentences for his crimes. In the aftermath, Julie spent six months homebound due to the psychological impact, but has since dedicated herself to supporting other survivors of sexual assault and advocating for legislative changes to improve the handling of rape cases.