June 26, 2026

Updates from Week 2 of the Kristy Gesse Trial

To our clients—

The Kristy Gesse trial continued this week in Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord. We want to make sure you know what’s happening in the courtroom.

Some of these details may be difficult to read. Please take care of yourself and do not hesitate to reach out at any time if you are struggling.

Kristy finished her testimony last week

Kristy spent three days on the witness stand, finishing her direct testimony and then facing cross-examination by the state’s attorney on June 18. She did not back down.

Kristy was placed by the state at Saddleback Mountain Retreat in Deerfield, New Hampshire. She described for the jury how Saddleback owner Peter Tsetsilas first won her trust—taking her to Patriots games and buying her gifts she admired, including a jacket. It did not take long to understand what it all meant.

“I quickly realized that the jacket had a price, and it became really evident,” she testified.

“I quickly realized that the jacket had a price, and it became really evident,” she testified.

Kristy testified about the first assault, the escalating abuse that followed, and the 24 days Tsetsilas held her captive at a Concord motel—a period she described as violent and terrifying.

”I was terrified of leaving the room. I was terrified of staying in the room. I was a kid. I didn’t know what to do. I felt trapped.”

She also testified about what communication was actually like at Saddleback—despite state rules requiring that licensed facilities give residents private phone access and explain their rights to report abuse.

“You’d have to write a letter, and that was it. But if you wrote a letter, you had to ask for a stamp or give it to somebody to mail it for you, so it wasn’t private.”

Kristy stayed strong during cross-examination

The state’s attorney challenged Kristy, questioning why she didn’t report the abuse sooner and suggesting she had not cooperated with the prosecution of Peter Tsetsilas.

She explained why she wasn’t fully forthcoming with police right after she was rescued.

“I was scared to tell the police that the rapes were happening at Saddleback at that point because I didn’t want to go to YDC, but if they returned me to Saddleback and Peter was there, then he would know that I told, and he had told me not to tell.”

When the state cited a caseworker note claiming she hadn’t cooperated with Tsetsilas’ prosecution, Kristy was clear.

“They never talked to me about Peter’s prosecution. No one ever invited me for a seat at the table. No one ever told me anything about his prosecution. So those are not true.”

Tsetsilas was convicted of child endangerment and interference with custody—not rape, not kidnapping. He served no time in prison.

“He kidnapped me, and he raped me, and that’s not what these papers said, and I wanted to know why.”

The lasting impact

Decades after Kristy left Saddleback, the effects of what happened there remain evident.

“I have a really hard time just plugging into my life,” she testified.

The jury heard from experts on Monday who put words to the feelings so many survivors carry. Psychologist Dana Allswede testified that Kristy has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and that her symptoms trace directly to the trauma at Saddleback.

Child welfare expert Robert Cagle testified that the state failed to meet basic standards for monitoring Kristy while she was in its care. Her caseworker visited her in person just once during her four months at Saddleback. He was clear that placing a child in a residential facility does not end the state’s responsibility to protect her.

“The residential placement adds another caregiver,” Cagle said. “It does not remove the responsibility of the state.”

The jury also heard from Tonya Ferguson, who was Kristy’s roommate shortly after she left state custody. Ferguson told jurors that Kristy confided in her about what had happened at Saddleback.

“She told me that she had been raped and tortured on multiple occasions.”

When the state challenged Kristy's assertion that this case is about more than money, she was clear about why she is here.

“I don’t know that any amount of money is going to give me back what happened. For me it was about accountability.”

She also spoke about what led her to come forward in the first place.

“I always felt in my heart that my abuse and kidnapping was an escalation. In my gut, I always felt like somebody who abused me like that may have done it before. I wanted to find the truth.”

That search for truth and accountability is what brought each of you here too. We do not take that lightly.

What comes next

The state is expected to call several more witnesses with closings expected to happen on Monday. We will continue to keep you informed. The best way to reach us is through the CaseStatus app. You can also call our YDC hotline at 603-628-4060 and ask to speak with a victim specialist. If you are incarcerated, please make sure 603-628-4060 is on your approved legal contact list.

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Thank you,