On the Today show this morning, California Amber Alert victim Hannah Anderson, 16, gave her first interview since being rescued in the Idaho wilderness on August 10, 2013.
With the exception of her own social media Q&A on Ask.fm, Anderson has shied away from any interviews. She did make a number of appearances last week at public fundraisers that provided money for the funerals of her mother and brother, who were murdered on August 3.
In the interview, Anderson gave the answers to many questions the media have been speculating on for a week. Why do records show that Hannah and her suspected kidnapper James DiMaggio exchanged 13 phone calls on the day of her kidnapping? What was inside the letters from Anderson that authorities found in DiMaggio’s house?
Anderson says the 13 phone calls were not calls at all, but text messages explaining to DiMaggio how, where, and when to pick her up from cheerleading practice. The letters found in DiMaggio’s home have an equally innocuous explanation: DiMaggio was helping Anderson work through issues she was having with her mother.
She took the time to thank the horseback riders who found her in the Idaho wilderness and praise the effectiveness of the Amber Alert system. You can watch the interview above.