Podcast Summary: 20/20 – The Hand in the Window: The Survivor

Host: John Quinones (ABC News)
Featured Voices: Detective Kim Major, Jessica Anderson
Air Date: November 12, 2025

Overview

This gripping episode of 20/20’s series The Hand in the Window centers on the aftermath of a chilling kidnapping and sexual assault in Ashland, Ohio in September 2016. Through the eyes of Detective Kim Major, listeners are taken inside the harrowing day Jane Doe escaped captivity, the meticulous investigation that followed, and the threads that connect multiple women in this small midwestern town. The episode sheds light not only on the crimes and the survivor’s courage, but on how trauma ripples through a close-knit community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Small Town Ashland and Fall Traditions

• The episode opens with vivid images of Ashland’s annual county fair, underscoring the contrast between communal innocence and the events about to unfold.
• Detective Kim Major shares her affection for autumn and the fair, which becomes marred by the events of September 2016.
  • “The whole community goes. The rides, the food. It's just a wonderful time for families. It's a good time.” (E, 01:10)

2. The Call That Changed Everything (02:15–03:13)

• On the morning of September 13, 2016, Detective Major is urgently contacted by Ashland’s police captain.
  • “There's been a kidnapping. We've rescued the woman. I need you to come in and interview her.” (Captain David Lay relayed via Major, 02:54)
• Jane Doe’s frantic 911 call marks the beginning of an unraveling nightmare.

3. Detective Kim Major: Approach and First Impressions (06:36–09:32)

• Major is trusted for her empathy and skill, particularly in victim interviews.
• Her first observations upon meeting Jane Doe:
  • "The first thing I noticed is her appearance." (E, 06:36)
  • Visible injuries, signs of neglect, and even the scent of her attacker linger on Jane.
    • “I could smell him on her. His sweat.” (E, 07:23)
• Major customizes her office to create a safe, comforting space for trauma victims.
  • “I try to create an environment so that I can peel away that onion. Just get him to talk to me.” (E, 09:17)

4. Jane Doe’s Background and Relationship with Sean Great (10:27–13:36)

• Jane is deeply religious, with strong boundaries around male friendships.
  • “This is a woman who is so strong in her Christian faith...no man crosses a threshold of her door.” (E, 11:48)
• She met Sean Great at the local Kroc Center, a social and meal provider in town. Their friendship appeared platonic; she rebuffed his romantic interest.
• Jane’s self-description: artistic, devout, and trusting—but cautious.

5. The Assault and Escape (13:36–15:34)

• Jane recounts the events:
  • Invited by Sean to collect clothes, she reluctantly enters a dilapidated, yellow house.
  • Initially, they sit to read scripture—a ritual for them—but Sean becomes agitated, snatches the Bible away, and attacks.
  • “He attacked her.” (E, 13:36)
  • Jane is tied to a bedframe and sexually assaulted over 40 hours, only managing to escape when Great finally falls into a deep sleep.
• Her remarkable presence of mind enables her to call 911 and save herself.

6. A Chilling Coincidence: The Name ‘Elizabeth Griffith’ Emerges (15:34–17:29, resumes at 18:35)

• During the interview, Jane mentions a missing local woman, Elizabeth Griffith, suggesting possible further victims.
  • “She told Elizabeth Griffith, you can't be telling everybody everything about you. You're going to make yourself a victim.” (E, 22:37)
• Detective Major realizes both women knew Sean Great and attended the same community centers.

7. Elizabeth Griffith: Mental Health, Community Ties, and Disappearance (18:35–25:48)

• Elizabeth Griffith was well-known in Ashland for her eccentricity and frequent calls to police.
  • “Yeah, she very much got the title girl who cried wolf because she would call them about anything and everything.” (Jessica Anderson, 19:03)
• Suffered from mental illness, reliant on social services (LifeWorks).
• Described as both sociable and confrontational, Elizabeth found community, but also stood apart.
• Her disappearance in August 2016, initially overlooked, gains chilling new significance in light of Jane’s case.

8. Connections Solidify: Multiple Victims, One Perpetrator? (25:48–28:55)

• Both Jane and Elizabeth frequented the Kroc Center and lived in the same apartment complex, forging an alarming link between victims and their suspected abductor, Sean Great.
• Major is tasked with confronting Great, now a person of interest in multiple disappearances.
  • “And while you're in there, see if he knows anything about the missing girls.” (Captain Lay, relayed by Major, 27:42)
  • “This might be your moment to do the right thing. To do the right thing, Shawn, it's the right thing. The right thing is to tell us where she is.” (E, 28:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On trauma and empathy:
  • "Sometimes I'm trying to talk to somebody about the most intimate, difficult, heinous thing in their entire life." (E, 09:17)
• On Jane Doe’s courage and faith:
  • “She paints scenes from the Bible. They're on her walls. She sings, she sang the Bible playing her guitar. Is she so wholesome, she's so strong and what she believes in, it's incredible.” (E, 12:04)
• Small town dynamics:
  • “This is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody, right?” (C, 26:28)
    “Yeah, everybody knows everybody.” (E, 26:31)
• Jane's warning to Elizabeth Griffith:
  • "You can't be telling everybody everything about you. You're going to make yourself a victim." (E, 22:37)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:10 – Detective Major’s affection for the county fair
• 02:54 – Major learns about the kidnapping from her captain
• 06:36–07:46 – Initial observations of Jane Doe
• 09:07–09:32 – Major’s approach to victim interviews
• 10:27–12:20 – Jane’s background and faith
• 13:36–14:21 – Jane’s assault and escape
• 15:34–15:54 – Jane mentions Elizabeth Griffith
• 19:03–20:11 – Elizabeth’s reputation and habits
• 22:37–22:54 – Jane recalls Elizabeth during her time with Sean
• 27:42–28:19 – Detective Major is tasked with interviewing Sean Great
• 28:41–28:55 – Major appeals to Great for the truth

Final Thoughts

This episode is an unvarnished look at trauma, survival, and the spiderweb of relationships in a small community. Detective Major's empathetic approach illuminates the human side of policing, while Jane Doe’s story is one of extraordinary courage and heartbreaking vulnerability. Together, their voices unveil the hidden threads that connect victims and predators—and the ongoing search for justice.