Kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard broke her silence on Wednesday as the first photograph of her as an adult emerged following her release after 18 years as the prisoner of her abductor.
Dugard was at the center of a worldwide media frenzy in August when she was found alive nearly two decades after she was snatched outside her home by convicted rapist Phillip Garrido in South Lake Tahoe in 1991.
Now 29, Dugard has spent the past two months in seclusion with her mother, Terry Probyn, 50, and the two daughters Angel, 15, and Starlit, 11, who were fathered by her alleged kidnapper Garrido.
In a photo for the cover of People magazine's latest issue due out on Friday, a smiling Dugard appears above the headline: "I'm so happy to be back."
The photo of a beaming Dugard bears a strong resemblance to the more familiar image of the 11-year-old abducted schoolgirl that once adorned missing posters. Dugard's formerly blonde hair is now chestnut brown, but her smile and blue eyes remain the same.
In a brief story accompanying the photo, People reported that Dugard has begun a slow process of recovery and has spent her time riding horses, cooking meals and is considering working on a book.
"I'm so happy to be back with my family," Dugard was quoted as saying.
Terry Probyn's step-mother Joan Curry meanwhile revealed: "They live a surprisingly normal life, considering the circumstances."
A spokeswoman for the family, Erika Schulte, told ABC television's "Good Morning America" that Dugard had broken her silence to show the world she was recovering from her ordeal.
"She has such a deep appreciation for this new life that she's embarking on," Schulte said.
"She did want to thank everyone and really let everyone see how happy she is and how much she's enjoying this and how happy she is to be home."
In a separate interview with CBS television's "Early Show," Schulte spoke of Dugard's delight at being reunited with her family once more.
"She just radiates. I was thrilled when I saw the photo because it was the perfect representation of what she looks like and it speaks to her joy with being with her family now and looking forward to her new life," Schulte said.
"She's a grown-up, she's a mother and a sister and a daughter. And it's amazing to just be in the presence of all of that.
"And if you walked into the room and didn't know the circumstances, it would seem, I think, like any other family."
Dugard's two children had also been embraced by the family, Schulte said.
"I don't know what their awareness would be. But they are just so embraced by Terry, Jaycee's mother, and by Shayna, her sister, their new aunt. And they're very much seem to me to be enjoying the life they have now."
Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy are accused of abducting Dugard and holding her prisoner in a secret compound behind their home in the town of Antioch, east of San Francisco.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to a 29-count indictment that includes charges of kidnapping and rape.
Asked if Jaycee had expressed how she felt about Garrido, Schulte replied: "You know, when I talk to with them, it's always about the future. Enjoying the moment or looking ahead."
Source: AFP Global Edition
