Crime & Safety
Hannah's Father Says Healing Will Be Slow, But Surrounded by Love
Brett Anderson: "As for my daughter, the healing process will be slow... surrounded by the love of her friends, family and community."
The father of Hannah Anderson, the Lakeside teenager rescued in Idaho last weekend after being kidnapped by a family friend, thanked law enforcement agencies and the media for help in recovering her during a Monday afternoon news conference at sheriff's headquarters in San Diego.
"Give us our time to heal and grieve," he said. "Thank you."
"As for my daughter, the healing process will be slow.""She is surrounded by the love of her friends, family and community."
Brett Anderson also urged people to heed missing-child Amber Alerts and asked the public to give his family privacy while his 16-year-old daughter Hannah recovers from her "tremendous, horrific ordeal," which included the murder of her mother and younger brother.
Hannah was recovered Saturday in a remote part of Idaho after alleged kidnapper and killer Jim DiMaggio fired at least one shot on FBI agents sent to rescue her.
Sheriff Bill Gore repeated earlier statements clarifying that Hannah was in no way complicit or even aware of the crimes DiMaggio is accused of.
"She was a victim in this case, she was not a willing participant. She was under extreme duress from the time she left Boulevard to being found in Lake Morehead, Idaho," said Gore.
Sheriff's officials disclosed that the girl, who went missing Aug. 3, was unaware her captor had killed her mother and brother while being held captive.
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The El Capitan High School junior only learned of the murders when her rescuers told her after a FBI agent fatally shot DiMaggio during an exchange of gunfire in Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area over the weekend, San Diego County Sheriff's Bill Gore said.
Hannah was rescued near Morehead Lake in the rugged area about 80 miles northeast of Boise late Saturday afternoon. Her father flew to Idaho to reunite with her on Sunday, and she was back home as of this afternoon, Gore said.
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"We have learned from debriefing and interviewing Hannah up in Idaho that DiMaggio did have a shoulder weapon and fired at least one shot," Gore said. "The FBI will conduct an extensive shooting investigation. The results of that will be made public later."
Gore also said that the automatic cell phone Amber Alerts were helpful in this situation and that they would be improved in the future.
Brett Anderson, who was separated from Hannah's mother, has asked the public for prayers as he and his daughter heal from both the kidnapping experience and the deaths of 44-year-old Christina Anderson and Hannah's brother, Ethan, 8.
-City News Service contributed to this report.
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