911 ᴍᴏᴄᴋs Kidnapped Mom Freezing To Death | The Case of Teri Jendusa-Nicolai | HO 

WIND LAKE, WI — On a frigid January morning in 2004, a desperate 911 call came into the Racine County dispatch center. The operator, skeptical and suspecting a prank, almost dismissed it. But on the other end of the line, Teri Jendusa-Nicolai—beaten, suffocating, and trapped inside a garbage can—was fighting for her life and for the lives of her two young daughters. Her harrowing ordeal, and the system’s initial failure to believe her, would soon become one of the Midwest’s most chilling cases of domestic violence, survival, and the urgent need for reform.

An Ordinary Life Turns to Terror

Teri Jendusa seemed to have found happiness. In 1996, she married David Larsen, and together they had two daughters, Amanda and Holly. Outwardly, they were a typical suburban family. But behind closed doors, David’s charming façade gave way to a darker reality. He was controlling, quick to anger, and increasingly violent. Teri endured years of emotional and physical abuse, often blaming herself for his outbursts.

“I tried everything to keep him happy, but nothing was ever enough,” Teri later recalled. The turning point came when David’s rage spilled over in front of their infant daughter. “He pushed me while I was holding my baby. I looked at her and realized I couldn’t let this be her life.”

Determined to protect her children, Teri filed for divorce. But even after the split was finalized in 2001, the court awarded joint custody, forcing her to maintain contact with her abuser. David’s threats continued: “You’re going to regret this,” he warned her outside the courthouse.

A New Beginning—and a Renewed Threat

Despite the ongoing fear, Teri rebuilt her life. She found love again with Nick Nicolai, who embraced her and her daughters as his own. In 2003, they married, hoping for a fresh start. But David refused to let go. He told Teri that in his eyes, and in the eyes of God, they were still married—and she would pay for leaving him.

On January 31, 2004, the anniversary of their divorce, Teri went to pick up Amanda and Holly from a scheduled visit at David’s house. She was in good spirits—she had just learned she was pregnant and couldn’t wait to share the news with her daughters. But when she entered the house, the girls were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, David struck her from behind. Everything went black.

Trapped and Fighting for Life

Teri awoke to find herself duct-taped, bleeding, and paralyzed with fear. David stuffed her into a garbage can, packing snow and ice around her, and sealed the lid with tape. He loaded the can into his truck and covered it with a tarp, preparing to dispose of her as if she were trash.

But David made a crucial mistake: he didn’t realize Teri still had her cell phone. With her hands barely free, she dialed 911. The operator, doubting the call’s authenticity, questioned her story as Teri gasped for air and relayed her ex-husband’s name and address. She then managed a brief call to Nick, urging him to call the police before her phone was confiscated.

As police rushed to David’s house, Teri was already gone—driven away in the back of the truck, her fate uncertain. Officers found a large bloodstain, duct tape, and an empty handgun case, but no sign of Teri or the children. An Amber Alert was issued, and the search widened.

A Race Against Time

Inside the garbage can, Teri’s situation grew dire. She could hear her daughters nearby, laughing and playing, but she dared not call out—fearing David would turn his rage on them. Instead, she remained silent, pretending to be dead, even as David stacked heavy objects atop the can and left her in the freezing cold.

Meanwhile, investigators pinged David’s phone to Milwaukee, but the signal soon vanished. They found Teri’s car near one of David’s properties, but no trace of her or the girls. As hours ticked by, hope faded.

In a stroke of luck, David made a misstep. He dropped Amanda and Holly at a babysitter’s house, and when police followed the lead, they found both girls safe. But Teri was still missing, and David, brought in for questioning, spun a web of lies—claiming Teri attacked him with a hammer and that he acted in self-defense. Detectives, armed with evidence and inconsistencies, pressed him for the truth, but he remained cold and evasive.

The Breakthrough

With no cooperation from David, investigators combed through his belongings. Among his business cards, they found one for a storage unit in Wheeling, Illinois. The manager confirmed David had visited the previous day. Police raced to the storage facility, fearing Teri might not have much time left.

Inside the dark, icy unit, officers found the garbage can, duct-taped shut and buried under boxes. Beside it lay a blood-stained baseball bat. Calling out, they heard nothing. When they pried the lid open, they discovered Teri—barely alive, beaten, and suffering from hypothermia after nearly 27 hours in the freezing darkness.

“It hit me like nothing else in my career,” one officer said. “She was in a fetal position, her face swollen and bruised, but she was breathing.”

Teri was rushed to the hospital. She had lost toes to frostbite, her body temperature had dropped below 84 degrees, and she had suffered a miscarriage due to the trauma. But she had survived.

Justice and Aftermath

David Larsen was arrested and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole. Throughout the trial, he showed no remorse, even attempting to intimidate Teri from behind bars. But Teri refused to let fear define her. “I am not a victim. I’m a survivor,” she said.

Her ordeal exposed critical flaws in the system—from the 911 operator’s disbelief to the legal loopholes that forced her to share custody with her abuser. Teri became a tireless advocate for victims’ rights, championing Marcy’s Law in Wisconsin to ensure others would have better protection and a stronger voice in the justice system.

A Voice for Survivors

Today, Teri Jendusa-Nicolai speaks to audiences across the country about domestic violence, resilience, and hope. She rebuilt her life with Nick, welcomed a son, and watched her daughters grow into strong women. Her story is a testament to the power of a mother’s love—and the urgent need for change.

“I survived to be here for my kids, to talk about domestic violence, to save other people,” Teri says. “My love for my children kept me going. I needed to be there for them—and I made it.”

As chilling as her ordeal was, Teri’s voice now serves as a warning, an inspiration, and a call to action. For those still trapped in the cycle of abuse, her message is clear: you are not alone, and survival is possible—even in the darkest of places.