Is it possible to be a captive for ten years?

Specifically, I’m referring to this story.

The highlights of the story are:
[ul]
[li]A convicted murderer and a deputy warden’s wife disappeared 11 years ago.[/li][li]They were just discovered living together raising chickens.[/li][li]She claims that she stayed with the killer out of fear for her family.[/li][li]When he was caught, she was back on the chicken farm.[/li][li]At least twice she was able to pick up the phone and make a brief phone call to friends or family.[/li][/ul]

I’m wondering how it is that in ten years, it never occured to the wife of a law-enforcement official to pick up the phone and call 911? I don’t think he could have possibly been watching her every minute of those 10 years, especially since she did manage to call other people at least twice.

Am I foolish for thinking that there is a definite possibility that she was in on this, or is it really possible for her to have been held 10 years as she was?

Zev Steinhardt

How did he escape?

I should add that she was in fear that her family would be harmed. However, this line of reasoning troubles me. After all, if she called 911 and he was put away (and hopefully, they’d be more vigilant about keeping him behind bars this time) then there wouldn’t be any danger to her family.

Zev Steinhardt

IMHO (wrong forum for that, I know) of course she was “in on this.” It’s not like Dial had her chained in the basement. I’d bet a good portion of the money I have that she and he were lovers. Before his escape and her “abduction”, he was working in her house while the husband was away at work.

Earlier in the day, the article said that when Dial was captured, the woman had said that she wanted to stay on the chicken farm. The FBI is now saying that that was a misunderstanding. Personally, I think the original statement was closer to the truth. See the statement from the Tulsa detective at the end of the article.