She Was Abducted By A Father Who Chained Her To A Tree And Wanted Her To Be A Bride For His Son

Gypsy Picture Show - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
Gypsy Picture Show - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

While Kari Swenson was out for a run in 1984, she was abducted by a deranged father and son duo in the mountains of Montana.

At the time, the world-class athlete was 22 years old, and the tragic event cut her career short. Her kidnappers were Don Nichols, who described himself as a “mountain man,” and his son Dan.

Swenson competed in the biathlons, a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. The sport dates back to 18th-century Nordic military exercises. She was one of the only female and American competitors.

In 1984, she won a bronze medal, alongside two other female athletes, at the first women’s Biathlon World Championships. She also got fifth place in the women’s 10-kilometer race.

Four months later, her luck turned for the worst. During the summer of 1984, she went running on a trail near the Big Sky resort. That’s when she encountered two men.

They both looked rugged and unshaven. They also wore wide-brimmed hats and were carrying rifles. These men were 53-year-old Don Nichols and his 19-year-old son Dan. For the past 12 years, they had been living in makeshift camps on the mountain range.

Several years ago, Nichols had purchased a large chain that he planned to use to secure a wife for his son. When they saw Swenson, they grabbed her, took her to their campsite, and chained her to a tree.

Swenson’s disappearance was noted by the time night fell. Her family organized search parties to scour the woods for any sign of her.

Eventually, two volunteers from the search party, Jim Schwalbe and Alex Goldstein, stumbled across the camp. Swenson spotted them before her abductors did and yelled at them to leave immediately because Nichols would shoot them.

Gypsy Picture Show – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

Nichols shot and killed Goldstein as Schwalbe sprinted away. Dan had also accidentally fired at Swenson, leaving her with a chest wound. The Nichols packed up their camp and left Swenson for dead.

She lay bleeding on the ground next to Goldstein’s dead body for four hours. Finally, a helicopter arrived to rescue her.

At the hospital, doctors found that the bullet had struck the area just below her collarbone, exited by her shoulder blade, and punctured her lung.

The Nichols were arrested five months later after they were cornered in the mountains of southwestern Montana. Everyone wondered what drove them to commit such a horrible crime.

It turned out that Nichols kidnapped Swenson as a bride for his son. He was sentenced to 85 years in prison, while his son Dan was sentenced to 10 years.

Six years ago, Nichols was released on parole. He showed remorse for his actions and maintained a clean record throughout his 32 years in prison. He completed several educational programs, including anger management and life skills.

Dan was released from prison in 1991. Since then, he had been in and out of trouble with the law. In 2012, he was arrested for drug charges.

After experiencing such an ordeal, Swenson spent many years in therapy and still had shrapnel in her chest, which was a constant reminder of the trauma and the end of her athletic career.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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