On a summer day 40 years ago, two birdwatchers hiking outside Denver heard a strange sound: a child crying for help. After following the sound, they discovered a toddler in a pit toilet.
Lori Poland was that girl. She was kidnapped in her front yard. Not only that, but the 3-year-old girl had been sexually abused before being dumped in the pit toilet.
Back then, the incident drew a lot of media attention. Her story has resurfaced in the media four decades later. Find out where Lori Poland is and where her kidnapper is.
Lori Poland Abuse: What Happened To Her?
Lori Poland was kidnapped from her yard in Sheridan, Colorado, in August 1983. After sexually abusing her, Robert Paul Theiret dumped her to die in a 15-foot sewage pit toilet outside Denver, Colorado.
Fortunately, two bird watchers from Pennsylvania hiking in the same area discovered her three days after she went missing. She was a lucky and strong girl to survive in the pit toilet for three days.
Lori was rescued and spent a few days in the hospital, where she met a pediatrician, Dick Krugman. Lori and her childhood doctor are still friends.
Lori Poland Is Now A Therapist
The high-profile child abuse survivor Lori Poland is now a licensed therapist. She works at Denver Counseling Options.
In addition to being a therapist, Poland is also an advocate and author. She is also a loving wife to her husband and a doting mother to her three children.
With her childhood doctor and now-friend, Dick Krugman, she established a foundation – The National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect (EndCAN).
The organization aims to help children like Lori. Moreover, Lori Poland published her heartfelt memoir “I Live Here.” Readers can follow her traumatic childhood experiences, the healing process, and the advancement of advocacy in adulthood in her book.
In an interview, the CEO of the EndCAN foundation said, “When I was ready, I always wanted to share my entire story. I didn’t anticipate that it would be mixed with both fear and excitement.”
“Fear of being vulnerable, but excitement over proving to the world that none of us are alone. Our experiences have shaped who we are, and what we decide to do with them can effect genuine change,” Poland added.
Where Is Lori Poland Kidnapper Robert Paul Thiret Now?
Lori Poland kidnapper Robert Paul Thiret was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 1984 on charges of abducting and sexually abusing and leaving her to die.
The kidnapper pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child and attempted first-degree murder during a special hearing in front of Littleton District Court Judge Charles Friedman.
However, Robert Paul Thiret served in prison for only six years. He was released on 7 December 1990. Thiret was eligible for release in 1989, but authorities decided to keep him behind bars due to public pressure.
The Colorado Supreme Court concluded in May that due to the delay, Thiret had to be released rather than paroled under the law that was in place at the time of the incident.
After serving six years in state prison, the kidnapper was transferred to Jefferson County Jail to serve for telephone harassment in June 1990. The public severely criticized his release.
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