Narrator Joel Patrick Courtney was sitting in jail in albuquerque. It was december 2004. The married father of three was facing decades in prison if convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault, and battery charges. As investigators began checking out the possible link to Brooke Wilbergers case, a call went out to her family. They had waited more than six months for news, any news, about their daughters disappearance. Now, there was a man in custody who they thought might be able to reunite them with their daughter, just as Elizabeth Smart had been returned to her family. What are you thinking in that when you hear this . Actually, i had prayed so faithfully all fall that whoever had done this would make a mistake. And when i heard the news, i thought, they made a mistake. They tried it again. And No One Else knew what id prayed, because i hadnt told anyone else, because it was always, Find Brooke. You know, help us to Find Brooke. I guess that was a selfish prayer, you know, to help whoeve
did it surprise you to hear mrs. wilberger family say thank you to joel courtney? it didn t surprise me. they are a giving and caring family. you can only hate for so long. at some point as people we have to be able to get beyond that. people always throw the world closure around. when people use that term, they are trying to be helpful and comforting. but i think in the death of anyone there s no closure. it is the end of a horrible ordeal, one that lasted much longer that it needed to. for brooke s killer, joel courtney, a lifetime of solitude awaits at the penitentiary of new mexico. you have no sympathy for this man? no. i think he s an animal. i hope he feels trapped, caged, defeated, weak. he s been beaten at his game and, like it or not, accountable.
did it surprise you to hear mrs. wilberger family say thank you to joel courtney? it didn t surprise me. they are a giving and caring family. you can only hate for so long. at some point as people we have to be able to get beyond that. people always throw the world closure around. when people use that term, they are trying to be helpful and comforting. but i think in the death of anyone there s no closure. it is the end of a horrible ordeal, one that lasted much longer that it needed to. for brooke s killer, joel courtney, a lifetime of solitude awaits at the penitentiary of new mexico. you have no sympathy for this man? no. i think he s an animal. i hope he feels trapped, caged, defeated, weak. he s been beaten at his game and, like it or not, accountable. and many wonder, would joel