Caller · moment 16 of 21

Why Johnny Can't Come Home and Meeting Paul Bonacci in Prison

from This Ain't Great · #10

Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.

10 min

Caller

Noreen explains why abducted kids like Johnny can never return due to threats against their families and being forced into felonies, promotes her book, and describes the powerful moment of meeting Paul Bonacci in prison and believing his account.

In this bit12 moments
  • 1:14:14Trafficked children are forced to commit felonies within days of abduction, creating insurance that keeps them from seeking police help.
  • 1:14:33Captors threaten to murder children's remaining family members if they attempt escape, a form of brainwashing that works because the kids believe it.
  • 1:15:25Johnny has communicated with his mother since disappearance, usually around Mother's Day and Christmas.
  • 1:15:50Investigation findings suggest Johnny is still alive with no evidence of murder discovered.
  • 1:16:18Children in trafficking networks know names and details of perpetrators in high government positions, which is why some are killed as a safety measure.
  • 1:17:13Paul Bonacci walked into the prison meeting in chains and his eyes told the mother she would hear the truth.
  • 1:18:24Paul Bonacci broke down sobbing when told he was meeting Johnny's mother, saying he was sorry for his part despite having a gun to his head.
  • 1:19:17Paul had no incentive to lie because he received no favors or payoff for helping the investigation.
  • 1:20:08The top perpetrators in trafficking networks stay protected and escape justice, even when individual cases result in arrests.
  • 1:20:43Paul Bonacci witnessed the money changing hands when Johnny was sold, confirming human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar business.
  • 1:21:45Unknown photos of Johnny were left propped against the mother's front door with no postmark, likely meant to harass and intimidate.
  • 1:22:42One photo in the envelope clearly showed Johnny, while another depicted what appeared to be a dead man and a third showed three boys on a bed from an earlier Florida case.
Mentioned here

Paul BenassiJohnny Goschhuman trafficking

All 21 moments in this episode →