Jayne And Eduardo Valseca: ‘Dateline’ NBC’s ‘The Desperate Hours’ Recounts Horrible Mexican Kidnapping Ordeal, Plus More On Jayne Rager’s Death

The story of Jayne Valseca and the kidnapping of her husband, Eduardo Garcia Valseca, in Mexico will be the focus of tonight’s Dateline NBC. The episode, entitled “The Desperate Hours,” is a repeat showing that first-aired in 2010 but will most likely include updated information. In this Dateline interview, Jayne Valseca described how she ended up in Mexico, what life was like while living there, and exactly how the abduction of her husband took place. She went on to describe the agony that she endured while waiting for emails from the abductors. Jayne Valseca died shortly after this interview took place.

According to CNN, Jayne Rager, aka Jayne Valseca’s story began in 2007, when her husband was abducted by Mexican thugs in San Miguel de Allende. The kidnapping happened just after the Valsecas’ children were dropped off to school. Before the terrible events, Jayne and Eduardo were very much in love and lived an idyllic life in Mexico, where they enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle funded by their business. They had started a local school and had even refurbished an old ranch. For them, life in Mexico was like living in complete tranquility. But, what the Valsecas didn’t know was that someone was watching their every move with the intention of robbing them because they believed the family was rich.

In Mexico, many of the residents keep money in their homes. And it is believed that the kidnappers, who demanded $8 million in ransom money, erroneously thought that the Valsecas were rich people who kept this kind of cash in the house. Jayne Valseca stated that she also believed that her husband’s family name could have also been a factor in them being targeted. Marie Claire magazine published Jayne Rager Valseca’s first person account of what happened to them that morning.

“It was a bright summer morning in June 2007, and my husband and I had just dropped off our three young kids at school down the road from our home in the picturesque town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, where we’d lived for the past 15 years. As an American, I’d always dreamed of living in a place like San Miguel, with its charming town square where people gather at sunset to hear a chorus of birds. I was watching the countryside roll by on our drive home that day, when suddenly an SUV in front of us screeched to a halt, causing us to slam into it. As my head whipped back against the headrest, another car crashed into us from behind. Two men jumped out of the SUV with clubs, hammers, and guns. Before we could react, they were smashing our car windows and dragging us out of our seats. Back at the ranch, I got to work immediately. I called everyone who would have any information that could possibly help me, including Eduardo’s sister.”

Those few days of sheer panic turned to several months of waiting and wondering if she would every see Eduardo again. During the time of his abduction, Eduardo was beaten, shot, and starved. Surprisingly, Eduardo returned home after being held captive for almost a year. He was in very poor health, but Jayne’s love and care helped restore him back to health. Sadly, the ordeal had most likely caused a demise in her own health. Jayne told members of the public that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, but that she believed she could pull through. Unfortunately, Jane died.

Before her death, she documented her journey by recounting every terrifying step she took in her quest to find her husband. Her book is a wonderful follow-up to the Dateline NBC episode. Packed with details, this complex, but riveting story almost makes a person never want to venture outside of their native country. Jayne Valseca’s book is entitled, We Have Your Husband, the same title that later became a Lifetime movie, which aired in November of 2011 starring Teri Polo, Nikki Hahn, and Esai Morales.

Make sure you watch Dateline NBC tonight at 8/7 central.

[Image via YouTube]