Rescue of Hope Shlottman

The Rescue of Hope Shlottman was a mission undertaken by private investigator Jessica Jones to find college student Hope Shlottman and reunite her with her parents.

Background

Hope Shlottman was a student in New York University who loved track. Raised frugally by Bob and Barbara Shlottman in Omaha, Nebraska, Hope loved her family and communicated with them often, keeping them abreast of her activities. She lived with her best friend and fellow student Mei in an apartment together.

Soon though, Hope stopped calling her parents,^[1] except for her mother's birthday,^[2] and disappeared; Mei was forced to sell Hope's property to get her part of the rent. Not hearing from their daughter, the Shlottmans went to the New York City Police Department; a man there recommended that they go to Alias Investigations and employ the detective Jessica Jones.

During the time that she was enthralled by Kilgrave, Jones stayed at the Plaza Hotel with him. During her investigation to find Hope, Jones saw many similarities to Hope's behavior with her own time with the mind-controlling rapist. Jones decided to go to the Hotel to see if the young lady was there.^[1]

Rescue

Entering the Plaza Hotel, Jessica Jones was greeted by the doorman who remembered her from the time that she lived there. Jones proceeded to the room that she once had, but hesitated, fearful that she might encounter again Kilgrave, the man who controlled her actions for over six months a year ago. Jones went to a fire alarm and activated it; however, during the evacuation, no one exited from her former room.

Jones went into the room and found Hope Shlottman lying in the bed, staring at an alarm clock. As the fire alarm blasted, Shlottman refused to move. Jones told the girl to come with her, but Shlottman refused, citing that she was waiting for Kilgrave to return; Jones knew that the girl was under his control. Jones lifted Shlottman from the bed and, as she carried her from the hotel, Shlottman kicked and screamed.

Jones took Hope to the Alias Investigations Office and, after calling her parents, tried to get her to understand that none of her actions under Kilgrave's control were her fault. As her parents entered, jubilant at seeing their daughter again, Hope gave Jones a look, conveying sadness. Jones did not notice; she was concerned with locking up the office as she planned to leave New York City to keep from encountering the mind-controller who ruined her life. She told the Shlottmans that she would catch up to them as they entered the elevator. Following, Jones saw Hope brandish a gun as the elevator door closed.

Running down the stairs to meet the elevator, Jones heard multiple gunshots. When the door opened, Jones saw Hope standing over the bullet-ridden bodies of Bob and Barbara Shlottman; Hope then eerily turned to Jones and told her to smile. Suddenly, Hope was released from her trance and screamed as she saw the carnage that she caused.

Meanwhile, Jones was shaken. However, she decided not to flee, but to fight the man called Kilgrave.^[1]

Aftermath

Hope Shlottman was arrested,^[2] and ultimately transferred to Northeastern Correctional Facility where Sissy Garcia became her cellmate.^[3] Shlottman discovered she was pregnant by the rape of Kilgrave and had the larger woman beat her in hopes of a miscarriage.^[4]

Jessica Jones recruited Jeri Hogarth to be Shlottman's lawyer, after Jones revealed that the power of mind control that Kilgrave possessed was real;^[2] the Kilgrave Victim Support Group was created^[5] after Shlottman had a radio interview to reveal to the public that she was truly coerced to kill her parents and leave her little brother Owen an orphan, since general opinion was that Hope was just another psychopath using someone else as an excuse.^[6]

References