1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,500 On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Natasha Campusch from Vienna, Austria, made her way to the school bus all by herself for the very first time. 2 00:00:10,500 --> 00:00:17,100 Along her path was a clean-cut man standing by his white minivan watching as Natasha approached. 3 00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:23,400 As soon as she was close enough, the man grabbed Natasha, threw her inside the van, and sped off. 4 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:31,800 This would be the last time anyone saw Natasha for the next 8 and a half years, or in her words, 3096 days. 5 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:38,400 Natasha's disappearance began one of the largest searches for a missing person in Austria's history. 6 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,500 Hi everyone, this is Deb from Dying to be Found. 7 00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:56,800 Before we get started, I just wanted to say that episodes contain disturbing discussions on harmful acts and crimes against animals and or humankind. 8 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:03,000 Recordings are not intended for young or sensitive audiences due to the content nature of this podcast. 9 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:18,600 Listener discretion is strongly advised. 10 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:24,600 Today's story starts out the very same way as our first episode of Dying to be Found the Dash, 11 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:33,200 where a small child was granted permission to head on over to the bus stop on the way to school all by themselves for the very first time. 12 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:42,000 Natasha Maria Campusch was born on February 17, 1988 in Vienna, Austria, and this story is no different. 13 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:47,500 I wanted to give you a little foreshadow of Natasha's life before she disappeared that day, 14 00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:55,300 because while in captivity, she had some coping mechanisms resulting from her upbringing that really did work in her favor. 15 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:58,900 Unfortunately, life did not start off kind. 16 00:01:58,900 --> 00:02:04,700 Natasha came from a broken home with two alcoholic parents who had divorced when she was young. 17 00:02:04,700 --> 00:02:12,400 Natasha found herself growing up in a public housing project surrounded by socioeconomically challenged tenants. 18 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:18,400 She made the best of it, though, because Natasha made something of a game to her own living conditions. 19 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:26,000 She had a very active imagination and would constantly dream of making her escape into a beautiful world where, 20 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:34,600 one day, Natasha wanted what we all want, to have a satisfying job and live a plain and simple life happily ever after. 21 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:41,800 However, everything changed on March 2, 1998, when Natasha was just 10 years old. 22 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:51,700 This is the day that Natasha had convinced her mother that she could walk to Brioche-Wigg Primary School all by herself. 23 00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:58,000 Natasha started out thinking to herself and looking around as she made her way through the streets of Austria. 24 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:06,700 Unfortunately, Natasha would not make it to the school that day, because this was the day where her life would take a terrible detour. 25 00:03:06,700 --> 00:03:09,000 She disappeared without a trace. 26 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:16,700 The morning Natasha set out to make her very first journey to school alone, I had mentioned that she was paying attention to her surroundings. 27 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:24,200 Natasha was acutely aware of a man who was lingering outside a white minivan as she approached. 28 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,500 Even at the age of 10, Natasha's radar went up. 29 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:32,900 But, let's face it, we all ignore that nagging feeling from time to time. 30 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:39,800 Something we know as going with our gut, where in hindsight, we may have done something a little differently. 31 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:45,800 Natasha's initial thoughts when she first saw this man at the van was, hmm, that's odd. 32 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,500 Why is this guy lingering? 33 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:59,100 Natasha originally didn't want to continue walking towards the man or his minivan and even considered crossing the street to continue her journey on the other side of the road. 34 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:06,000 But she dismissed any negative feelings because this man, in Natasha's words, appeared to be clean cut. 35 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,500 Nothing to worry about, eh? 36 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:14,800 Well, Natasha talked herself into walking past that stranger, which was a very, very big mistake. 37 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:28,600 Little did Natasha know that a man named Wolfgang Pricklipil, a 36-year-old communications technician, would be watching her as she approached as well. 38 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:39,500 Pricklipil would later be described as a loner who did not socialize and maintained a private life with very little interaction amongst his neighbors or coworkers. 39 00:04:39,500 --> 00:04:49,400 Once she got close enough, Pricklipil simply dragged Natasha off the busy streets of Vienna, where she would go missing for the next 3,096 days. 40 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:58,400 This is equivalent to eight and a half years, and Natasha would spend that time locked in a dark cellar below the garage of Pricklipil's home. 41 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:07,700 It's not clear how long Natasha's disappearance was before she was reported missing, but this became one of the largest manhunts in Austria's history. 42 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:16,300 Police originally interviewed Natasha's mother and went so far as to place her as the primary suspect in Natasha's disappearance. 43 00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:25,000 Investigators originally speculated that Natasha's mother had killed her own daughter based on information provided by a private investigator. 44 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:32,400 The information provided suggested that Natasha had been killed and then disposed of in a lake or sold off for cash. 45 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:43,200 However, witnesses at the time of Natasha's abduction came forward to say that they saw two men dragging a young girl inside a white minivan before speeding off. 46 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:54,000 You heard that right. Not one, but two abductors were reported as abducting Natasha off the streets of Vienna, which actually hindered the case for quite some time. 47 00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:02,200 Police immediately began investigating hundreds of white minivans, one of which included the name of Wolfgang Pricklipil. 48 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:15,400 Wolfgang's demeanor was very soft and even tempered, which led police to dismiss him as a suspect after conducting an interview of one man who owned a vehicle matching the description by eyewitnesses. 49 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:23,800 Police did not realize at the time that they had their kidnapper directly in front of them and they had just let him walk free. 50 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:32,200 As Natasha found herself being dragged into Pricklipil's van, her initial instincts were to struggle to get herself free from her abductor. 51 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:42,400 Obviously, this man was bigger than her, which proved to be difficult, and it didn't take long before Natasha found herself locked in the back of this man's white Mercedes minivan. 52 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:48,800 Moments after Natasha was taken, she began questioning Pricklipil as he drove through Austria. 53 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:58,800 This may be what we consider odd behavior because under stressful circumstances, victims don't always immediately challenge their abductor. 54 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:04,600 However, it was Natasha's natural instinct that kicked into gear the moment she was abducted. 55 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:10,200 Natasha had a keen interest in a crime show equivalent to the UK show Crime Watch. 56 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:15,200 She knew that she had to get as much information out of her abductor as possible. 57 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:21,000 Natasha's first question for the man was if he had planned to kill her or bury her in the woods. 58 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,800 He told her to be quiet. 59 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:29,200 She immediately began asking this man matter-of-fact questions like what was his shoe size? 60 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,600 How old was he? Was he married? Did he have children? 61 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:44,400 Not much is known on how Pricklipil responded to Natasha's questions, but once they arrived home in Strassow, approximately 15 miles or 24 kilometers outside of Vienna, 62 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,400 he clearly acted on a plan he had already put in place. 63 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:56,000 Pricklipil carried Natasha into a hidden, soundproof dungeon with no windows that was constructed below his garage. 64 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:04,800 The entranceway was inside the garage, beneath the trap door, down some stairs, and tucked away behind a hollowed-out concrete wall. 65 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:12,400 Pricklipil was quick to tell Natasha that all doors and windows within the house were booby-trapped with high explosives. 66 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:18,000 He even threatened to shoot Natasha and his neighbors if she ever tried to escape. 67 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:23,800 Natasha was locked in Pricklipil's hidden cellar and would go days without daylight. 68 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:32,000 Unfortunately, Natasha was not only sexually abused, but she also received daily abuse and physical torture, 69 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:39,600 not so that she was scared into submission, but to minimize Pricklipil's risk of any attempts that Natasha would run away. 70 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:47,200 Natasha eventually took control of her own situation by journaling on toilet paper that she kept hidden in the cellar. 71 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,800 According to Sky News, one entry read, quote, 72 00:08:50,800 --> 00:09:01,400 At least 60 blows to the face, 10 to 15 nausea-inducing fist blows to the head, one strike with a fist and full weight to my right ear, unquote. 73 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:08,600 Pricklipil often displayed a fascination with Adolf Hitler and proceeded to make attempts to force Natasha 74 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,800 to feel that she was being held captive in a Nazi camp. 75 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:17,000 Pricklipil told Natasha that the Jews were responsible for 9-11. 76 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:25,000 He barely allowed her to eat, kept her scantily dressed, continuously humiliated her, and even shaved her head. 77 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:32,200 One thing that Pricklipil did not know about Natasha was that she was enduring some of her own mental health issues as a child, 78 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:36,200 likely due to the onset of her own living environment growing up. 79 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:41,800 Natasha was lonely, a compulsive eater, and suffered from depression at an early age. 80 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:47,400 Before she was even 10 years old, Natasha had fantasized about suicide. 81 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:55,800 In fact, she even attempted suicide under Pricklipil's captivity, which was likely due to his harsh treatment towards her. 82 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:07,000 In the span of 8 and a half years, Pricklipil portrayed a dark side that included sexual abuse, hard labor, torture, verbal abuse, and starvation. 83 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:14,600 As I researched Natasha's case, I couldn't help but think about how strong and intelligent she was even at the age of 10. 84 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:19,800 So it's not surprising to know that as she got older, Natasha began to rebel. 85 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:35,000 Unfortunately, Pricklipil responded to Natasha's rebellion by continuing his beatings, withholding food, and yelling insults at her for nights on end through an intercom that he had connected between the cellar and the upstairs. 86 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:44,200 At this point, it didn't matter because Natasha's defense mechanisms were to disconnect and simply fantasize in order to survive. 87 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,800 By the age of 12, Natasha had promised herself that she would find a way to escape. 88 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:58,600 She initially told herself that she was still too small, but when the time was right, she would overpower the kidnapper and free herself from this prison. 89 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:05,000 Clearly, Pricklipil had ongoing issues, which Natasha caught on with rather quickly. 90 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:22,600 Over the next 8 and a half years, Pricklipil demanded that Natasha address him as Maestro or My Lord, which even beginning at the age of 12, Natasha considered odd, and in her words, her coping mechanisms were to respond through fantasy and make belief. 91 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:28,600 Pricklipil often went to bathe Natasha, and when this occurred, she imagined she was at the spa. 92 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:34,200 When he wasn't starving her, Natasha imagined that he was a gentleman who was there to serve her. 93 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:40,600 In contrast, Pricklipil provided Natasha with gifts such as Barbie dolls and train sets. 94 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:46,600 Things turned odd, though, when he began giving her mouthwash, scotch tape, and orange juice. 95 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:54,200 Whatever the effort, Natasha felt grateful to receive anything at all to pass her time during her days in captivity. 96 00:11:54,200 --> 00:12:00,600 As time went on, Pricklipil conceded to taking Natasha out on 13 different outings. 97 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,800 These places were nothing special, just errands. 98 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:13,000 Pricklipil took Natasha to places like hardware stores, but mostly to properties that he owned where Natasha was ordered to help get ready to rent out. 99 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:22,200 Pricklipil continued to keep Natasha under lock and key until he gradually began giving her privileges to roam the house under strict supervision. 100 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:31,400 Natasha was forced to do all the cooking and cleaning, and was eventually given a radio and books so that she could continue on with her own education. 101 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,600 By age 15, Natasha was able to convince Pricklipil to take her on holiday. 102 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:45,000 He eventually conceded and allowed her to accompany him on a ski trip, but as always, she was constantly kept under strict supervision. 103 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:55,000 Never once did Natasha ever stop looking for an opportunity to run away, but in a later interview, she did say she was afraid to tell anyone who she was. 104 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:01,000 By the time Natasha turned 18, she began telling Pricklipil that it was time to let her go free. 105 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,400 In her words, Natasha said, 106 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:22,800 Quote, You have brought a situation upon us in which only one of us can make it through alive. I'm very grateful to you for not killing me and for taking such good care of me. That's very nice of you, but you can't force me to stay with you. I'm my own person with my own needs. This situation must come to an end. 107 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:23,600 Unquote. 108 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:29,400 Pricklipil responded by telling Natasha that the authorities would never catch him alive. 109 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:44,200 On August 23rd, 2006, Pricklipil gave 18-year-old Natasha permission to vacuum his car. As she did so, he stood over Natasha as usual, keeping a close eye on what she was doing when his cell phone rang. 110 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:54,800 Pricklipil turned his back and walked around the corner of the house to take the call, which was the opportunity that Natasha had looked for over the past eight and a half years. 111 00:13:54,800 --> 00:14:02,400 With the vacuum cleaner still going, Natasha crept to the gate in the yard. As she reached it, she realized it was unlocked. 112 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:09,200 She immediately bolted out of the yard and ran to a nearby neighbor's house, who immediately called the police. 113 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:16,600 After realizing what had just happened, Pricklipil, then 44, made his own break and fled the scene. 114 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:22,600 Hours later, he was found decapitated after jumping in front of a train at the local train station. 115 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,400 Let's not forget about Brigada, Natasha's mother, who had first been accused of her daughter's death. 116 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:37,000 Brigada discovered that Natasha was alive eight and a half years after her disappearance when police came to her while on holiday. 117 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:44,200 Brigada remembered screaming so loudly that the entire countryside came to see what might have just happened. 118 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:54,600 Brigada and Natasha were reunited shortly thereafter, and Natasha's first words to her mother were, quote, You're still as pretty as ever, unquote. 119 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:59,000 Natasha's release from captivity became an overnight sensation. 120 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:05,600 She was praised for her bravery after her escape, although there were indications that she suffered from Stockholm syndrome, 121 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:12,600 because on one or more occasions after her release, Natasha made comments about feeling sorry for Pricklipil. 122 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:19,000 In later interviews, Natasha was quoted as having mourned for her captor after he completed suicide. 123 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:25,400 Natasha's mother later said that Natasha carried a photograph around of Pricklipil laying in his coffin. 124 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:34,000 Natasha received a lot of public backlash from people who believed that she, quote, did not behave like a victim, unquote. 125 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:43,000 I do want to make a comment here because it's easy to look at the situation as an outsider and easily become a couchside commentator. 126 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,200 Until we're faced with a traumatic situation like Natasha experienced, 127 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:57,800 it's not our place to judge her or any other victim in their responses, behaviors, or actions while being held against their will by a psychotic sociopath. 128 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:04,000 It doesn't matter if it's for one day, 17 days, or eight and a half years, we can't judge. 129 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,400 Everyone has their own way of coping. 130 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:12,600 Natasha happened to display a strong personality which seemed to help her in her own situation. 131 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:19,000 In fact, after eight and a half years in captivity, Natasha showed a great deal of resilience. 132 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:25,800 She has gone on television to participate in several interviews and even became a television host herself. 133 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:35,000 Natasha states that while she was imprisoned, she listened to the radio Pricklipil had given her and learned how to engage with people through broadcast interviews, 134 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,600 plus having years of one-on-one conversations with her captor. 135 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:46,000 Natasha is an activist and an author and would like one day to learn the trades as a goldsmith and a shoemaker. 136 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:55,000 She has written two books, the first in 2010 called 3096 Days, which was later turned into a movie in 2013. 137 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:01,400 The second book called 10 Years of Freedom was released for publication in August of 2016. 138 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:10,400 A documentary called The Girl in the Cellar, 8 Years Underground, was released in January 2023 and can be found on YouTube. 139 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,800 Natasha was ordered by the courts to receive possession of Pricklipil's home. 140 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:24,400 She's chosen not to reside there but continues to maintain the property as her own in the hopes of keeping it from becoming a shrine to crazy onlookers 141 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:36,400 who take an interest in this case. In her words, Natasha accepted the property to deter onlookers or for it to become an odd sensation associated to the crimes that had occurred there. 142 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:42,400 She wished Pricklipil could still be alive to have the chance to tell his side of the story. 143 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:49,600 And that's where we'll end here. That is the story of Natasha Campush and her story of survival. 144 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:56,200 Click on the links in our show notes to find out more about this podcast and where you can find us on social media. 145 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:06,000 If you're a True Crime podcaster and want a chance to highlight your own podcast, be sure to email me at dying2theletterbefound at gmail.com. 146 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:14,000 Be sure to DM me on Instagram and let me know your thoughts on this storyline and what you think of Dying to Be Found the Dash. 147 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,200 Talk to you soon. 148 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:20,600 Thanks for listening to Dying to Be Found True Crime podcast and our Dash mini series. 149 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:29,600 Every week we'll bring you a variety of True Crime episodes, a little dash of hope, plus special bonus episodes with some really cool guests. 150 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:35,500 Before we go, we'd love for you to share this podcast with your friends and give us a five star review. 151 00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:47,900 Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest at Dying to Be Found or visit our website at dying2befound.com spelled just like you see in our logo. 152 00:18:47,900 --> 00:18:54,700 Better yet, click on our Linktree account found in the show notes where you'll find all the information in one place. 153 00:18:54,700 --> 00:19:02,500 Be sure to dash in every Wednesday for our mini episodes, plus every Thursday when I get together with some of my family members. 154 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:05,500 Thanks again everyone and we'll talk to you soon.