Who is Abby Hernandez? All about the girl who inspired Lifetime's Girl in the Shed

Lifetime’s new movie, Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez, based on the real-life story of the kidnapping of Abby Hernandez, will debut at 8.00 pm on February 26, 2022. The subject of the story is also one of the executive producers of the movie.

In 2013, Abby Hernandez was kidnapped while walking home from school in New Hampshire. Her disappearance left family members and investigators baffled. Her search was one of the largest in the state’s history. The 14-year-old girl was tortured and sexually abused for nine months before being set free by kidnapper Nathaniel Kibby.

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More about Abby Hernandez and her story

Abby Hernandez, who had just begun her freshman year at Kennett High School, was all over the news in 2013 for her disappearance. On October 9, 2013, Nathaniel Kibby kidnapped the 14-year-old while she was walking home from her school in North Conway, New Hampshire.

When Hernandez realized that she had been kidnapped, her survival instincts came into action and she started to look for ways to set herself free.

Abby, in an exclusive interview with ABC News’ 20/20, said,

“I remember thinking to myself, ‘Okay, I got to work with this guy.’ I said [to him], ‘I don’t judge you for this. If you let me go, I won’t tell anybody about this,’”

But her initial attempt failed and she was held captive in a soundproof container for nine months just 30 miles north of Conway. During that time, she was forced to wear a shock collar. She also suffered psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Despite the ordeal, she did not lose hope and prayed to see her family. She shared,

“I remember I never said ‘amen’ in my mind. I never wanted to end my prayers because I didn't want God to leave me. I just really wanted to live.”

In order to keep herself alive, Hernandez tried to gain the trust of her captor and did “whatever he wanted to do”.

Explaining her strategy, she said,

“I told him, ‘Look, you don't seem like a bad person. Like, everybody makes mistakes… If you let me go, I won't tell anybody about this.’ I really always kinda put it-- you know, ‘This strategy is always there.’”

Ultimately, on July 20, 2014, Kibby drove Hernandez back to North Conway and released her out of fear that police might visit his home for a counterfeit investigation.

The kidnapper left Hernandez near the same place where he had abducted her nine months ago.

Abby said in the interview,

“I remember looking up and laughing, just being so happy. Oh my God, this actually happened. I'm a free person. I never thought it would happen to me, but I'm free.”

A week later, police took Kibby into custody and he eventually pleaded guilty to seven felony counts, including kidnapping and sexual assault. However, he was not charged with counterfeiting. He has been sentenced to 45 to 90 years in a prison outside of New Hampshire.

Born on October 12, 1998, Abby is the daughter of Zenya Hernandez and Ruben Hernandez. She has one sibling, Sarah Hernandez.