Cold Case Files – "I Survived: I Couldn't Breathe and I Remember Feeling Like I Was Falling Asleep"

Aired: February 14, 2026
Host: Marisa Pinson (Narrator) | Podcast by A&E / PodcastOne

Episode Overview

This episode brings together three harrowing survival stories from individuals—Anita, Jim (and Glenn), and Sabray—who confronted unthinkable dangers and lived to tell about them. The stories traverse an abduction and days of captivity, a near-fatal lightning strike atop Mt. Whitney, and a violent robbery/assault that almost turns deadly. All three survivors recount, in vivid and unfiltered detail, how they faced impending death, marshaled their resources (physical, mental, and emotional), and, ultimately, endured. This episode’s tone is raw, honest, and inspiring, focusing on the resilience of the human spirit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anita's Story: Abduction, Survival, and Rescue (00:07–12:48)

Background

• Setting: Kokomo, Indiana, June 1998
• Situation: Anita, 21, recently graduated and living with parents, is abducted from her home by Victor Steele, an acquaintance from her former gym.

The Crime & Captivity

• First Moments of Abduction

  • Anita answers her door to find Victor Steele, not having seen him in over a year.
  • He uses a stun gun to incapacitate her.

    “I bent over to clean up the blood from my toe and I felt this shock in my back, an electrical current. … He hit me again and I could just feel the electrical currents and I'm still fighting.” (Anita, 01:41–02:29)

  • Steele restrains her with zip ties, shows her a handgun to reinforce his threats, and claims it’s a robbery before forcing her into the trunk of her car.

• Real Motive and Transport

  • After a short drive in extreme heat, Steele reveals his intention is sexual, not monetary.

    "He told me he didn't take me to rob me. He had sexual needs and I was there to fulfill them." (Anita, 03:49)

  • Anita describes her captor as disheveled and menacing, but focuses on surviving.

    “I think growing up and just being a female, I always just thought I'd rather die than be raped. And when it came down to it, I'm like, I want to live.” (Anita, 04:17)

  • Steele drives her nearly 10 hours to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he holds her captive in a metal box in a space he intended for a bookstore.

• Days in Captivity & Coping Mechanisms

  • Routine: Steele repeatedly rapes Anita, interspersed with forced companionship (watching TV, playing games).
  • Anita adapts by complying to survive, trying to keep both herself and Steele as calm as possible.
  • The metal box becomes a perverse sanctuary:

    “When I was in the box, I knew he couldn't touch me, he couldn't hurt me. I had time to pray. I had time to think about my family.” (Anita, 07:10)

• Rescue

  • Eight days in, the police raid the location, unsure if Anita is there or alive.

    “I hear this loud noise on the door, and the door gets kicked in... 'Police. Search warrant!' … Then they actually come into that room, and I can hear they're, like, in here.” (Anita, 09:36)

  • She hesitates, fearing it's a trick, but is finally freed:

    "When they opened it, there was, like, five police officers all in squat gear... I'm just like, thank God. Take me home." (Anita, 10:19)

Aftermath

• Trial & Sentencing
  • Steele defended himself in court and attempted to implicate Anita. He is found guilty and sentenced to life plus 25 years.
• Survival Reflection
  • Anita’s experience is now a case study for FBI training.
  • She credits her survival to mental resilience and the refusal to give in to despair.

    "I survived because I have a message that needs to be sent out to other women that you can get through this. … I was able to use my mind to really just think everything through, and that allowed me to stay calm and keep him calm.” (Anita, 11:38 and 12:06)

• Dealing with 'What Ifs'

  > "I played the what if game for a long time until... my therapist and the police said, you did everything right. You're here, you're alive... So I had to learn real quick that they're right. I'm here, I'm alive, and everything's going to be okay." *(Anita, 12:12)*
  

2. Jim & Glenn’s Story: Lightning Strike Survival on Mount Whitney (13:55–26:27)

Background

• Setting: July 1990, Mount Whitney, California
• Situation: Brothers Jim and Glenn, with their friend Kalief, ascend Mount Whitney, caught in a severe thunderstorm at the 14,500-ft summit.

The Climb & Disaster

• Summiting in deteriorating weather, they take shelter with 10 others in the summit hut.

• “There were 13 of us. And yesterday was Friday the 13th, and we were all kind of joking about that a little bit.” (Glenn, 15:26)

• Suddenly, a massive lightning strike hits the hut, passing through a metal stove pipe that is the highest point in the contiguous U.S.

Injuries & Reactions

• Jim is hit directly by the lightning, loses consciousness:

  “I felt this incredible jolt through my body… I remember seeing a flash that just filled my head and knowing that something was terribly wrong… That was a bolt of lightning that hit the shelter we were in and came in and hit me. And that was the last of my recollection.” (Jim, 16:02)

• Glenn is paralyzed briefly and, regaining movement, finds Jim unconscious and not breathing:

  “When I looked at Jim, his eyes were open, but they're kind of rolled back and he wasn't breathing. And so I thought he was dead.” (Glenn, 17:17)

• Glenn administers CPR and revives Jim after four to six cycles.

Survival, Rescue, and Loss

• Severe burns for Jim:

  “My pants and my underwear looked like I was shot with a shotgun—just literally hundreds of holes.” (Jim, 25:11)

• Despite their own injuries, they and other survivors attempt CPR on Matt Nordbrock, who ultimately does not survive.

• An attempted helicopter rescue initially fails due to wind, causing brief devastation:

  “Here we are 14,500ft above sea level, and we felt like we were on the moon.” (Jim, 22:31)

• A successful rescue follows. Glenn remains on the mountain to continue helping.

• Emotional Closure:

  "I don't ever recall telling him I loved him before, but I certainly do at that point in time. And it was pretty emotional." (Jim, 23:34–23:48) "Going through something like this ... I realized how precious life is and that at any moment it could be over." (Glenn, 25:50)

• Reflections on Survival:

  “I survived because I was lucky and I also never gave up hope. … We knew there was hope and it was just a matter of time.” (Jim, 26:05)

3. Sabray’s Story: Violent Robbery and Fight for Life (27:56–36:32)

Background

• Setting: July 2004, Miami, Florida
• Situation: Sabray, a propane delivery driver, is attacked on the job by Ronald Holloway, a recently-released convict.

The Attack

• Sabray notices a man behaving oddly; decides not to exit her truck but eventually does.
• Attacked from behind while beginning her delivery:

  “That’s when I felt an arm around my neck, and I got picked up in the air. … I couldn’t breathe. … Everything just tunneled out and lights out.” (Sabray, 28:45–29:19)

• Regains consciousness as attacker rummages through her fanny pack. She instinctively grabs his testicles to resist.
• Assault escalates—Sabray is choked multiple times, severely beaten, but repeatedly strategizes to survive:

  “For some reason, the thought that comes into my head is, play dead. Play dead. Play dead. … I just went limp, like, so exaggerated. ... I slid over to his right shoulder. I bit down as hard as I could on his arm. ... My finger ended up in his mouth. I literally thought he had bitten my finger off.” (Sabray, 30:31–31:55)

The Struggle Over Money and Final Confrontation

• The attacker demands her cash (~$1,000), but Sabray, enraged, refuses.

  "He said, 'Give me the effing money.' … and I just looked him right in the face. I said, you know what? F you." (Sabray, 33:46)

• The fight spills into the resident’s house; Sabray and bystanders intervene, and the attacker flees. He is soon caught by police.

Aftermath

• Sabray is left with a shattered kneecap, broken nose, and must undergo repeated testing as her attacker is HIV positive (she is unharmed).

  "Every month going for the AIDS testing, I had to be reminded all over again that this idiot still had this power over me. Luckily, I never came up positive." (Sabray, 36:01)

• In a powerful moment of confrontation:

  “I walked right up to him, I looked him in the face and I said to him, ‘Remember my face. ... I'm going to be your worst nightmare from this day forward.’” (Sabray, 35:40)

• Holloway receives 20 years for the assault.
• Sabray sums up her survival motive:

  “I survived because it was him or me. And it wasn't going to be me.” (Sabray, 36:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anita (on survival): “Whatever I have to do to get myself out of this situation, I will... I want to live.” – 04:17
• Anita (on rescue): "I'm just like, thank God. Take me home." – 10:19
• Jim (on lightning strike): "The air just exploded. I felt this incredible jolt through my body... I saw something, I heard something. And that was a bolt of lightning..." – 16:02
• Glenn (after rescue): "Going through something like this... I realized how precious life is and that at any moment it could be over..." – 25:50
• Sabray (on attack): “I remember feeling like I was falling asleep... everything just tunneled out and lights out.” – 29:19
• Sabray (to attacker): "Remember my face... I'm going to be your worst nightmare from this day forward." – 35:40
• Sabray (final words): "It was either him or me. And it wasn't going to be me." – 36:32

Key Timestamps

• 00:07–12:48 – Anita’s Abduction and Rescue
• 13:55–26:27 – Jim & Glenn’s Mount Whitney Lightning Strike and Survival
• 27:56–36:32 – Sabray’s Violent Assault and Fight Back

Summary

This episode delivers three intense firsthand accounts of survival, each underscoring a different aspect of resilience: composure in the face of sexual violence and captivity, teamwork and persistence after a natural disaster, and animal determination during a life-threatening attack. The survivors' own words—direct, candid, and often graphic—make clear both the lasting trauma and the remarkable will to live. Each story is not only about making it out alive, but also about the ongoing journey to reclaim life in the aftermath.

For listeners seeking a gripping, emotional, ultimately hopeful recounting of how ordinary people confront extraordinary circumstance, this episode stands out as a powerful tribute to human endurance and spirit.