In May 2001 a stranger snatched Leah Henry off the street near her home in Houston and held her bound and gagged for four days. Despite her frightening situation, the 11-year-old kept her wits about her. When her abductor—convicted sex offender Gary Dale Cox, 48—left her unattended in a remote cabin near Kerrville, Texas, she managed to free a hand and scribble notes describing her situation and to photograph the cabin's interior with a camera from her knapsack. On May 4 Cox was bundling her into his car, when Kerr County Sheriff's Department Sgt. David Billeiter pulled up to investigate a report of suspicious activity. As Cox walked toward Leah's side of the car with his gun drawn, she bolted out of the driver's side and into the cop's arms. "Leah knew the danger, and she seized the opportunity," says Billeiter, 56, who drove Leah away to safety—moments before Cox fatally shot himself.

You only have to pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV to know that not all child abductions end quite so well. During this summer of what seems like continuous kidnappings, millions of parents are deeply troubled by the story of Samantha Runnion, the 5-year-old California girl abducted while playing in her front yard, then sexually assaulted and murdered. But for every Samantha, child safety experts tell us, there are actually many more victims who survive, like Henry, or Philadelphia's Erica Pratt, the plucky 7-year-old who gnawed through the duct tape used to bind her and escaped to safety.

According to Department of Justice figures, only about 100 U.S. children will be kidnapped for sex or ransom this year; of those close to two-thirds will be returned to their families. So while the problem of kidnapping is real, it is also relatively rare. "I don't want to minimize [the risk]," says Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, "but our message to families is: Don't live in fear—just be prepared."

The best way to start, Allen suggests, is to discuss the problem calmly with your children (for more ideas on keeping kids safe, see box at left). As for Leah Henry, she has faced her recovery from the kidnapping and assault with the same resilience she displayed during her captivity. "She will not talk about it, ever," says her mom, Linda Henry, 50. Although Leah still sees a therapist, the emotional impact of her ordeal is receding.

In the end, says Linda Henry, even the most resourceful child can only do so much; nothing but highly effective law enforcement will halt a determined abductor. "The focus has to be on the criminals," she says, "because you can't make your child kidnap-proof."

Patrick Rogers
Kevin Brass in Houston, John Hannah in Los Angeles and J. Todd Foster in Washington, D.C.

More From This Article

How to Foil a Kidnap Attempt
Thirteen years ago the daughter of a police officer was abducted from her front yard in Pinole, Calif. "That hit close to home because at the time I was a cop myself," says Robert Stuber, who was living nearby with his wife, Marsha, and their two children. Stuber, now 48, began researching kidnappings and how to prevent them. Today he is the founder of Escape School, which offers free safety workshops for children and parents across the country. Below, a few of Stuber's top tips:

•Give children permission to disobey an adult who may want to hurt them: The moment they're snatched, they should struggle to free themselves and run away.

•If a stranger says he has lost his dog, or needs help, he may be telling the truth. But children should first ask a parent for permission before they agree to help an adult whom they don't know.

•To call for help on a phone, dial 911, say "help," then put the receiver down on a table and move away. The dispatcher will automatically know the caller's address; seeing a victim on the phone will anger a kidnapper.

•When fleeing a menacing stranger in a car, run in the opposite direction to which the car is moving. Chances are, the driver will not make a U-turn.

•When approaching adults for help, use the Velcro Technique. Grab an arm or leg and do not let go until the adult responds to your plea.

•If trapped in a moving car, it's okay to open the door and get out when the car is not moving. Don't do what the bad guy says, which is to sit there. If the door is locked, jump in the back seat and try the other doors.

•If trapped in the trunk, disconnect the tail lights by pulling out the wires. You've increased dramatically the chances that police will stop the car.