Katie Beers (40 page)

First and foremost, I’d like to thank my parents, Barbara and Tedd, for their unconditional love, support and encouragement. Without them, I would not be the daughter, woman, wife and mother that I am today. They both taught me what it was like to have a loving and stable relationship. They have been my rock for nearly twenty years.

My siblings, Rebecca, Jesse, Cassandra, and Jay—they welcomed me into their home and treated me as their little sister. I was so lucky to be placed in a home with four wonderful, loving kids for me to play with, grow with and learn from. Whether it be helping me with homework, fixing my hair, or spending time with me, these four were amazing! I have learned so many things from my siblings and continue to learn from them daily.

My husband, Derek, has been another influential person in my life. He has taught me that it is okay to be myself. He loves me regardless of my many flaws. I am so grateful that I found him and that he has introduced me to the life that I live. For him, I will forever be grateful.

My children, Logan and Halee, are the two sweetest children ever. From the moment that Logan was born, I have truly known what unconditional love is. He is the greatest son and big brother. I don’t know how Derek and I got so lucky! Halee is a little angel—she loves her mommy, daddy and big brother very much. A smile from Halee could brighten even the darkest of days.

I would also like to thank Judge David Freundlich, the late District Attorney James Catterson, and Assistant District Attorney William Ferris. They fought so hard for my cases and what they felt was in my best interests. I still keep in touch with Judge Freundlich who officiated the custody case when it was closed to the public. He is such an amazing man with a huge heart. DA Catterson and ADA Ferris handled my trial with such care and concern. I was so blessed to have both of them on my side and handling the trial.

A heartfelt thank you to Chief Dominick Varonne, the Suffolk County fourth precinct, the FBI and all of the volunteers who searched
relentlessly for me. Also, all of the people who prayed for my safe return. Without all of you, my story may have been more tragic.

I would like to thank the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, especially the Suffolk County Correction Officers Association for sending me to Disney World. The Correction Officers Association’s generosity made it possible for me to live out every little girl’s dream.

I would also like to specifically thank former Sheriff Patrick Mahoney, and Undersheriff Edward Morris for their support. And Sergeant Bud Conway for his generosity. He gave me my first bike, which I rode all over Springs.

Mary Bromley is more than a therapist. She is an ally and a friend. I knew that Mary was a safe person for me to talk to, and she still is! Without Mary, and her genuine care for my well-being, I don’t believe that I would have ever been able to recover from the trauma that I endured as a child.

Peter Lisi, the principal at Springs School; Mrs. McGintee, my fourth grade teacher; and the entire staff at Springs Elementary School from January 1993 to June 1997 all played instrumental roles in my recovery. Mr. Lisi was not only my principal, but he was a family friend. I remember in fourth grade when I was called to his office. I thought that I was in trouble, but he gave me a dollar because I was working very hard on improving my speech. I had a deal with my dad that for every word I said properly, he would give me a dime, and for every word I said improperly, he would deduct a dime. When all was said and done, I was a “rich girl’” and no longer had my grammar issues! Mr. Lisi will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks to Mrs. McGintee and the entire McGintee clan—Mrs. McGintee helped me through fourth grade, whether it be with schoolwork, or someone to confide in, I knew that she was there for me. Mr. McGintee was my first softball coach, and one of the very few first men that I knew that I could trust!

My caseworkers from CPS—Ginny, Athena & Valerie. These three women helped me so much through my visits with Marilyn.

The wonderful people of East Hampton for circling the wagons to protect me. A special thank you to Billy Joel, of East Hampton, for welcoming me and my family into his home. He played his upcoming
song “River of Dreams” for me, and it is now my favorite song of all time!

I’d also like to thank my in-laws for welcoming me into their homes and hearts with open arms. Derek’s family is amazing. I’m so lucky to have such a close-knit family when I’m so far away from mine.

I’d like to thank my amazing friends for putting up with me after all of these years. I love you all very much and wish that we got to see each other more often. More specifically, Caitlin, Corinne and Devyn— you are like sisters to me, and I thank you for putting up with me and my craziness!

I have also gotten the opportunity to meet Tracy Ertl, Titletown Publisher, without whom you may not be reading this. Thank you Tracy for your constant concern about my well-being and your vote of confidence.

Finally, it is difficult to find the words to thank Carolyn Gusoff for helping to make my longtime dream of writing a book come true! Without Carolyn, I do not think that I would have been able to achieve this dream. The road has been long, and it has not always been easy to relive the memories. But Carolyn, through her hard work, sensitivity and deep connection to my story, found a way to make this journey possible and therapeutic. I am so happy that I had an opportunity to get to know her.

—Katie Beers

While writing this book, there were times I suspected a conspiracy against its completion; I fended off waves of plagues, spates of disease and near-disaster. Katie kept me focused. She wanted her story told and believed it possesses a relevant and timeless message. I agree. There have been longer episodes of child captivity since her 1992 kidnapping, but Katie’s story speaks, with the benefit of hindsight, to a different theme: human resilience.

It was impossible to write a book about a child who grew up without one positive male role model and not think repeatedly of mine. I dedicate this effort to my late father, Gerry Gusoff. No day has passed without the presence of you in my heart.

To my loving family—my mother, Ileen Gusoff; my mother-inlaw, Sandra Turk; my sister, Pamela Cott; my brother-in law, Noel Cott; and nephews, Ben Cott, Michael Cott and Daniel Cott: It took a village. Thank you for being such an essential part of mine. My sister taught me how to read and write when I was four years old and has been teaching me about compassion ever since.

To my beloved and supportive friends and colleagues: I feel blessed to have too many dear friends to list each one. My book lock-down days are over. We have serious catching up to do!

To my agent Carol Leff, who has been with me from the start— and I mean the Fort Myers, Florida start: I thank you for always being a pillar of support and a trusted friend.

To Mary Carroll Moore: You taught me how to change gears from one hundred words to one hundred thousand. Thanks for helping me find unique structure and a voice.

To Jill Marsal, literary agent of Marsal and Lyon, and Tracy Ertl, TitleTown publisher and maverick extraordinaire: How fortunate I feel that I found Jill and Jill found Tracy. Thank you for recognizing the value of Katie’s story and its timeless message. I hope this will be the first of many collaborations.

To TitleTown editor, Amanda Bindel: Your suggestions were spot on. My thanks to Erika Block for her hard work on the book’s design.

And to Jerry Fields, for his artistic talent and input.

To Simone Mets, my first reader: I can’t thank you enough for your insightful feedback.

To Sandra McLane who transcribed many long interviews for this book: Thank you for giving the children hot dinners and warm attention.

To my children, Graham and Amanda, who have patiently and lovingly watched me engage in an odd game of “Survivor” for years—a life and schedule as journalist mom with sacrifices and challenges but also priceless payoffs. Guys, this is one of those confetti moments and you both are my greatest joy.

To my husband Jon Turk, my editor, critic and love: I’ve been down to my King, alone in the corner of the board. You’ve always pulled me back from Check Mate. Thank you for being my life coach and beloved partner.

This book is narrative non-fiction. It is derived from extensive interviews, personal observation and memories, research, letters, hundreds of published reports, court and prison transcripts. I have tried to the best of my ability to accurately recreate events that took place more than twenty years ago.

I am indebted to many people including Dan Forman, Jennifer McLogan, Jeff Schamberry, Drew Biondo, Bob Clifford, Keith Lane, Stephen Goldstone, John Albertson, Joe Garufi, and Marilyn Beers. But this book would not have been possible without the cooperation and participation of two very important people in Katie’s life: Dominick Varrone and Mary Bromley. They were generous with their time and insight. They are as much a part of Katie’s survival as her unique constitution.

Finally to Katie: Thank you for trusting me with your incredible story. You inspired me twenty years ago with your strength. Now that I know you, I admire you infinitely more. I have learned that human cruelty comes in many forms. Thankfully, the same force that makes people imperfect also gives us the capacity for repair and recovery. Katie has demonstrated this with her life.

This is a success story.

— Carolyn Gusoff