The spy who loved her

Dennis Murphy, Dateline correspondent: When the FBI called up her father the first time, he hung up on them? 

Jackie Zappacosta: Mr. Freegard had instructed Kimberly’s father by saying, “You know you’re gonna be called one day by someone who claims to be the FBI.  And they’re going to tell you that I’m not a spy.  And that’s a test.”

Murphy: Dad hangs up and he passes the test?

Zappacosta: Yes. He reached out that far. He was that good.

As far as Kim’s parents knew their daughter was still about to marry Robert.

But after the FBI convinced them that Kim— and they too— were victims of a dangerous con artist they were only too eager to help find their daughter and get evidence that would put Freegard away.

Zappacosta: We discussed scenarios.  We planned scenarios.  We planned strategies.

Strategies stretching over a six week period that involved coaching Kim’s mom and dad in how to elicit information should their daughter or Robert call them.

Zappacosta: It had to be their words as they would talk to their daughter.  Questions that they were normally ask their daughter because Freegard was a formidable opponent.  He would sense if something was amiss.

The trap was set. Jackie just needed Kim to call home. Any calls would be secretly recorded by FBI agents in the U.S.

A few days later, Jackie got her lucky break. Freegard and Kim had run out of cash. The con man, with Kim under his control, placed a series of calls to Kim’s parents, concocting a story that the two needed still more money to pay for spy school.

John Adams, Kim's father (on wire tap): You have put up some of your money and some of Kim’s money to whoever it is that’s giving you these tests, right?

Robert Freegard: I’ve, I’ve fronted 61,000, ‘cause that’s all I could put my hands on. I don’t have any more money than that, John.  That wiped me out.

Murphy: So the reason they’re calling home to the States, her home, is to get money?

Zappacosta: Yes. We knew if we didn’t capitalize on that break that we may not hear from Kimberly again for a long time.

After the FBI and British police determined that Freegard and Kim were, in fact, in France — out of their jurisdiction — they set up a plan that Kim’s schoolteacher mom would execute.

Murphy: You had to learn how to become something of a little spy yourself.

Ann Hodgins: Well, I guess I did, yes. I hadn’t thought of it that way.

Back home in Phoenix, Ann’s instructions were to use the sporadic phone calls to lure Robert and her daughter back to England.

Freegard: (On an FBI wire tap) Hi Ann, how you doing?

A plan was set with tempting bait: Kim’s mom would give them a check for $20,000 but only if she could deliver it herself in London.

She was even given a script by the FBI to deal with curve balls, as when Robert cleverly suggested that Kim’s mom fly to France with the money instead.

Hodgins: The FBI said, “You can’t do that, because we can’t go to France and arrest him.” “You’ve got to get him back to the UK.”

Ann Hodgins:(On an FBI wiretape) Anyway, the reason I called is that I’ve never been to Heathrow before, so—

Zappacosta: And while we were scripting against him, he had a script for Kimberly about how to get money from her parents.

Kim Adams (on wire tape): I told you about the exam.

Ann Hodgins: Yep.

Kim Adams: Basically we have to tell them at the end of the day today that we have the money, because I have to give it to them tomorrow.

Zappacosta: So it was about battle of wills and a battle of scripts.

Hodgins: So they finally agreed that yes they would come to pick me up in the UK.  But we didn’t know if it would be just Robert, just Kim, Kim and Robert, a third party, or nobody.

And so it was a nervous and very uncertain Ann Hodgins who flew out of Phoenix on her own secret-agent-style mission.

Hodgins: I was almost physically sick. I was so afraid.  I was afraid for my daughter, I was afraid that if this didn’t work, it was all over.  We’d never get her back.

Murphy: Were you worried about blowing this, not being able to pull it off?

Hodgins: Oh yes.  Oh absolutely.

In London, Ann met FBI agent Jackie Zappacosta, who briefed her on a sting operation the British police had set up for the following morning back at the airport.

British undercover cops and FBI would be watching Ann’s every move as she pretended to enter the arrivals hall just off a flight from the states. Robert had suggested a coffee shop just past customs where they could meet.

Murphy: You guys have gotta be a little bit nervous backstage here, right?

Zappacosta: You’re always nervous backstage.

The next day, Kim’s mom emerged in the arrivals area just as scripted. Robert was there. Her daughter wasn’t.

Hodgins: I walked up to him and I said, “Robert!”  And he said, “Oh, how are you?”  We hugged.  And then I said, “Oh, where’s Kim?”  And he told me she was in the car park.

Murphy: This is a wrinkle in the plan.

Hodgins: So I made an excuse—a long trip, I need to use the restroom.  So I went into the restroom, pulled out the cell phone called the agents and said, “Kim is in the car park.” And they said, “Okay, go, go, go!”

Ann went with Robert to the parking lot, with no idea what would happen next.

Hodgins: So I got up to the car and Kim jumped out, we hugged, talked just a bit.  Robert put my suitcase in the back and from every corner of that parking ramp cars and agents pulled up. Once all the screeching tires stopped, the agent who was in charge of the investigation said, “Robert Hendy Freeguard: you are under arrest.” 

Murphy: Kim of course, doesn’t know what’s going on.

Hodgins: She burst into tears.

Kim Adams I was crying hysterically.  I just kept repeating, “I don’t understand.  I don’t understand what’s going on here.” 

Hodgins: And at that time I’m thinking, “What have I done?  Why is she crying?  Is he crying because we’ve saved her?  Is she crying because this whole thing may be isn’t really what it seems and I just destroyed this relationship?  Will she ever speak to me?”  I didn’t know.  I didn’t know. 

At a nearby London police station, British police and the FBI spelled out the whole extraordinary story of Robert’s crimes to a dazed Kim.

Murphy: Based on your investigation, how many people, how many years, how much money?

Zappacosta: Eight victims.  Ten years.  Between one million and two million dollars.

Murphy: And money was the game?

Zappacosta: And money was the game and power was the game.

Freegard was in custody, facing charges that— if they proved him guilty— could send him to prison for life.

So now it was Kim’s turn to fill in critical details of her four-month abduction, information that would be used to prosecute Freegard. It was a harrowing story about the spy who not only conned her but threatened to kill her, too.

MORE FROM DATELINE

Dateline Section Front

The Trial of Amanda Knox NBC's People of the Year: Read the interviews The Night Mary Jane Disappeared The Friday the 13th Mystery Mystery at Lost Dog Road Slideshow: Photos in the Bob Duke case When The Smoke Clears   Sneak peek: When The Smoke Clears Slideshow: The Christie Fleming murder Transcript: Dan Brown and Secrets Of The Lost Symbol Dateline Section Front   Add Dateline headlines to your news reader: