I SURVIVED: I Remember Telling God this is a 911 Prayer

Summary

Cold Case Files – “I SURVIVED: I Remember Telling God This Is a 911 Prayer”

Original Air Date: June 20, 2026
Host/Narrator: Marisa Pinson, A&E / PodcastOne

---

Episode Overview

This powerful episode of Cold Case Files features three gripping firsthand accounts from survivors of unimaginable trauma—an abduction and rape, a family massacre, and a deadly tornado. Theirs are stories not only of survival against extraordinary odds, but also of the psychological aftershocks and the paths toward meaning that follow. Each survivor narrates their journey in their own words, offering listeners a deeply personal look at navigating life after confronting death.

---

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Rhonda’s Story: Abduction, Assault, and Survival

— Begins at 02:04

Background

• May 1988, Pensacola, Florida. 18-year-old Rhonda was wrapping up her freshman year of college and working late as a cocktail waitress.
• After her shift, she is attacked in the parking lot and abducted at knifepoint by a stranger.

Sequence of Events

• [02:25] Rhonda recounts feeling invincible as a young adult, declining her manager’s offer to walk her to her car.
• She is approached by a stranger needing assistance with his Jeep but declines. He attacks, threatens her with a knife, and forces her to drive him, eventually taking control of her car.
• [03:51] Realizing the danger is more than robbery, she attempts escape at a red light but is violently pulled back.
• [04:41] After being driven to a secluded location, her attacker beats and begins a brutal assault.
• [08:43] Rhonda describes in vivid detail her attempts to fight back using every method she knows—recalling advice from her brother—and her will to give police every detail if she survives.
• She is stabbed, violently beaten, choked to unconsciousness—twice—and raped at knifepoint.
• [10:57] At one point, “He was trying to kill me. The rape was actually a relief because he was preoccupied and I had time to think and plan, how am I going to get out of this alive?” — Rhonda

Survival Instincts

• She feigns death after being stabbed multiple times as a final, desperate tactic.
• [11:51] “The only way I’m gonna survive this is just to play dead. … And then I heard him crank up the car, and I just felt in my spirit that he was going to run over me with the car.” — Rhonda

Escape and Aftermath

• [12:47] Upon regaining some strength and seeing streetlights, Rhonda pretends to have amnesia, tricking her attacker into feeling safe enough to approach help.
• She persuades him to stop at a store. Seizing her moment, she escapes and receives help from the store clerk, who locks the door and calls 911.
• [14:30] “My adrenaline stopped pumping. And I felt every single bit of pain at that point… Never had I felt so much pain, but I knew I was safe.” — Rhonda

Justice and Reflection

• Her attacker, revealed to be just 16 years old, is arrested that night.
• [15:29] “I survived because I don’t think God was finished with me yet, because I earnestly prayed and asked him to save my life. And he did. And I promised him that I would take that life and use it. And I have.” — Rhonda
• Rhonda changes her college major to counseling and works with victims of childhood sexual abuse, reflecting on how trauma can shape futures but intervention can help prevent violence.

---

2. Patrick’s Story: Family Massacre and Recovery

— Begins at 18:34

Background

• November 2009, Jupiter, Florida. Patrick, a defense attorney, is married to Lisa, who is pregnant. The family’s Thanksgiving gathering brings estranged sibling Paul back into the fold.

Sequence of Events

• [19:31] “Lisa and Carla had both told me stories about how he would beat them up. … They had always hoped that he would get better over time.” — Patrick
• The gathering is tense but cordial until after dinner, when Patrick is shot without warning—alongside his sister-in-law Carla and other relatives—by Lisa’s brother.

Survival Under Fire

• [21:07] “I felt like I got punched in the stomach. I didn’t know what was going on…. but I just felt something just awful, and my ears were ringing….” — Patrick
• Describes chaos as the shooting unfolds: Carla is mortally wounded, Patrick is twice nearly shot in the head but escapes with only his shirt grazed.
• [23:06] “I was all alone. … This house has become a tomb of me and dead people. And there’s no one here to save me.” — Patrick

Rescue and Hospitalization

• First responders arrive, saving Patrick’s life despite ruptured organs and massive blood loss.
• [25:36] “I had pneumonia, I had pancreatitis, one of my kidneys was removed and the other one stopped working for an entire month. … They told my parents, if he does survive, we expect him to either be a vegetable or severely brain damaged.” — Patrick

Loss Revealed

• After awakening from a coma, he learns the devastating scope of his losses: wife Lisa, her unborn child, Carla, cousin Michaela, and aunt Raymond.
• [26:05] “In the middle of the prayer, [the priest] says … ‘Let her be his guardian angel.’ … I looked at my mother … and I just knew.” — Patrick

Aftermath and Perspective

• The shooter is apprehended and sentenced to seven life sentences.
• [27:22] “I survived because of the positive attitude that I have always had in life. … Once tragedy struck, I was able to continue to use this kind of positive energy.” — Patrick
• Patrick now lectures on surviving trauma and the importance of finding positive meaning after disaster.

---

3. Jason’s Story: Tornado Catastrophe

— Begins at 30:24

Background

• March 2012, Pekin, Indiana. Jason is home alone during a day predicted to have severe weather, while his girlfriend is at work.

Sequence of Events

• [31:06] When the tornado approaches unexpectedly, Jason calls his neighbors—Joe, Mariah, and their three children—into his more secure mobile home.
• [33:43] He attempts to photograph the tornado, but realizing the danger, dives to protect everyone in the hallway. The house is lifted and destroyed by the tornado.

Surreal Survival

• [34:15] “I was on the inside of this thing, spinning around in circles. I saw debris behind me. … I was awake for maybe two or three seconds at the most, and then I just blacked right back out. The next thing I recall was waking up face down in the mud….” — Jason
• Jason is severely injured and in shock, initially unable to remember his own name.

Aftermath and Survivor Guilt

• [36:46] Jason learns that only one child survived. All the others he had tried to protect perished in the storm.
• [37:54] “There’s something about the fact that I took the responsibility to bring them into my house. … And the fact that they died in my house, I felt this sense of responsibility and guilt.” — Jason

Reflection

• [38:04] “What I feel inside and the hurt that I felt that day from that family was way more difficult than any physical damage that was done to me. … I survived because of an absolute miracle.” — Jason
• He acknowledges his survival as miraculous and continues to process both the grief of loss and the miracle of his own endurance.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10:57 | Rhonda | ”He was trying to kill me. The rape was actually a relief because he was preoccupied…” | | 12:47 | Narrator | ”When Rhonda saw streetlights, she put her plan into action.” | | 14:30 | Rhonda | “My adrenaline stopped pumping. And I felt every single bit of pain at that point. … but I knew I was safe.” | | 15:29 | Rhonda | “I survived because I don’t think God was finished with me yet, … And I have.” | | 19:31 | Patrick | “Lisa and Carla had both told me stories about how he would beat them up. …” | | 23:06 | Patrick | “This house has become a tomb of me and dead people. And there’s no one here to save me.” | | 27:22 | Patrick | “I survived because of the positive attitude that I have always had in life.” | | 34:15 | Jason | “I was on the inside of this thing, spinning around in circles. … I was awake for maybe two or three seconds … I just blacked right back out.” | | 37:54 | Jason | “I felt this sense of responsibility and guilt.” | | 38:04 | Jason | “What I feel inside and the hurt that I felt that day from that family was way more difficult than any physical damage that was done to me. … I survived because of an absolute miracle.” |

---

Themes and Takeaways

• Survival Instincts: Each survivor’s story highlights the human will to survive—even in the face of violence, loss, and disaster.
• Aftermath and Healing: Trauma’s aftermath is multi-faceted; physical healing is paired with psychological and emotional recovery.
• Faith and Meaning: Prayer, faith, and positive thinking are cited as critical, empowering tools for survival and subsequent healing.
• Service and Purpose: Both Rhonda and Patrick transform their suffering to help others—Rhonda in counseling, Patrick in advocacy and education.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rhonda’s Abduction and Survival: 02:04–16:27
• Patrick’s Family Tragedy and Recovery: 18:34–27:41
• Jason’s Tornado Ordeal: 30:24–39:23

---

Conclusion

This episode of Cold Case Files confronts listeners with the raw realities of survival—physical, psychological, and spiritual. Through the courage of its storytellers, it explores the complexity of trauma and the remarkable resilience it can foster.

“I survived because I don’t think God was finished with me yet, because I earnestly prayed and asked him to save my life. And he did. And I promised him that I would take that life and use it.”
— Rhonda (15:29)

---

Note:
This summary omits all commercial/advertising segments and sticks strictly to the episode’s core survivor stories and their reflections.

Transcript

[Narrator]

A whodunit that fights the patriarchy in surprising ways, says the Hollywood Reporter. A teenage girl is found dead in the desert. No identification, no family, no one willing to claim her. With each passing day, the chances of solving the case fade. But for Noelle Alsafan, a newly divorced true crime enthusiast haunted by personal loss, walking away isn't an option. Driven by a need for answers, she launches her own search for the truth. What begins as an investigation into an unidentified victim soon uncovers a larger story. One that exposes hidden tensions within a society in transition and reveals the determination of women striving to define their own futures. From acclaimed director Haifa Al Mansour, Unidentified is a riveting, powerful mystery. Now playing in select cities.

[Commercial Announcer - Lowe's]

Sons out. So dads are too this Father's Day at Lowe's. Shop the gear that'll make his summer get two free select Dewalt power tools when you buy a select 5amp hour battery kit for weekends in the garage. Plus get a free Blackstone six piece stainless steel griddle kit when you buy a select Blackstone griddle. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valid through 624 while supplies last selection varies by location.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Your next unforgettable experience can happen anytime. Take an AMEX card with you for

[Narrator]

rewards wherever you go. Morning coffee run with an old friend.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Earn cash back. Weekend getaway Earn miles AMEX rewards your inner explorer.

[Narrator]

Learn [e-mail] terms apply.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

This episode contains stories involving violence against children. Listener discretion is advised.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

I'm punching, I'm kicking, I'm scratching, I'm biting, I'm pulling his hair.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Real people.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

I immediately saw a black wall of, you know, impending doom just coming right at me.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Who faced death?

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

It was me and dead people. And no one's gonna come there to

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

save me and live to tell how.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

And I was thinking to myself, I can't breathe, I can't breathe. I'm gonna die.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

This is I survived. It's May 1988 in Pensacola, Florida. 18 year old Rhonda has just completed her freshman year of college. She's working as a cocktail waitress in a five star restaurant.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

It was a great time for me. I was experiencing life away from home at the beach. I love the beach. And it was just one of the best, most peaceful, exciting times of my life. That particular day, it was two days before my 19th birthday. It was about one o' clock in the morning, somewhere around that time. And I remember my manager asking me, do you want me to walk you out to your car? And you know, I was 18 years old. I felt invincible. I said, oh, no, that's okay. I'll just walk myself out to the car. So I'm walking to my car and this guy who's in a Jeep that's uncovered just jumps out out of the blue. He was like, hey, hey, can you give me a ride? My Jeep won't start. I can't make it home. And, you know, at 18, I was full of spunk and I kind of smarted off. I'm not giving you a ride. I don't know you. I'm not giving you a ride. In my mind, I was thinking, all I had to do was tell him no, get in my car and go home. That'd be the end of it. It wasn't. As I stick my key in my car, I felt him come up and stick something to my side. And I glanced down and realized it's a knife. Immediately, I realized I'm in danger. He says, you're gonna give me a ride. And so all I can remember is I just kind of froze and I panicked and I didn't know what to do. The next minute, he's pushing me over into the seat. I'm crawling over into the seat, and he gets into the driver's side and he starts it up. It's obvious that he doesn't know how to drive a five speed because he starts to take off and we're jerking. I asked him, I said, what are you doing? Where are you going? He said, I'm just going home. I'll drop you off. The minute I get home, I'm just going home. My mind is half blank. And then it's racing too. And I'm thinking, what do I do? How do I get out of this? We come to the first red light and I think, okay, here's my chance to get away. I immediately open my door and try to get out. And as I'm getting out, he grabs me by the hair and just yanks me back in the car. Shut the door, shut the door. And for some reason, I did. I shut the door and I obeyed. That moment, I think, is when I realized I was in danger. It wasn't just the car that he wanted. He wanted me. I realized at that point, he doesn't just want a ride home, he wants me in the car. Not just the car. Rape was the first thing that came to my mind. I think I kind of went into survival mode. I thought, no way I'm going to be raped and he's going to get away with It. I'm going to remember everything I can remember to tell the police. Then he pulls up. He goes down this little dirt road, and I'm thinking, oh, boy, this is. This is not good. It's secluded. It's dark. I knew that I was going to be raped. I was trying to figure out how I'm going to get away, what do I need to do to protect myself. And I'm thinking about all the times that I had fights with my brother when we were younger and how he told me how to defend myself. And I'm thinking, if he touches me, I'm taking a cigarette and I'm putting it out in his eye. And then I'm going to take my bottom of my hand, and I'm gonna push his nose back up into his brain. As he pulls into the dirt road, I do light a cigarette. He says, oh, I live behind the woods over here. I'm just gonna park right here, so you don't know where I live, and you can have your car back. My gut tells me different. I know that is not going to happen. I get out of the car to go around to the driver's side, and he just runs up behind me. And it feels like he's punched me in the back. And I remember just the air being knocked out of me for a minute. And when I turn around, he just starts hitting me over and over and over again in the face. One hit after the other. Bam, bam, bam, bam. Part of me just said, this is it. You gotta fight. You don't have any choice. You gotta fight. And so I take the cigarette and I try to poke it right in his eye, but I missed. And I was pushing and hitting him back and scratching him back. And all that did was just make him mad, made him more mad. At that point, he stabbed me in the lung, and my lung collapsed, and I was just like. And I couldn't breathe. And I did the only thing I knew to do, which was to pray. He stabbed me and punctured me in the lung. He stabbed me right in the side. And immediately all my breath went out of me. Boom. That is when he cut my underwear. And when he cut my underwear, I knew he was about to rape me. So I started fighting back as much as I could. I'm punching, I'm kicking, I'm scratching, I'm biting. I'm pulling his hair. I'm biting with absolutely everything I have in me, I'm biting back. He got behind me and he choked me in a chokehold, and he kept choking Me and choking me. And I could not breathe. I couldn't. I couldn't suck in one bit of air. That is the scariest thing that you can ever experience to have minutes tick by where you can't breathe and you're trying to gasp in air. And I'm grabbing onto his arm, trying to pull his arm down, and I couldn't because he just had a death grip on there. And I'm thinking to myself, I'm gonna die. I started seeing these little spots in front of my eyes, little white spots. And I was thinking to myself, I'm gonna die. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I'm gonna die. And I passed out. When I came to, the fighting started again. He did put me down on the ground and he had the knife and he held it to my throat. He raped me. I still have scars on my throat from where he was holding a knife to my throat as he was raping me. The rape wasn't the biggest part of that night. The biggest part of that night was he was trying to kill me. The rape was actually a relief because he was preoccupied and I had time to think and plan, how am I going to get out of this alive? When he finished raping me, and I thought, okay, this is it. He raped me. He got what he wanted. Now he can just leave me alone and go away. I had to crawl a little bit to get back to the car because all my strength was gone. And he came up behind me and he just pulled my hair again and flipped me over and started hitting me again. And he just starts stabbing me over, over and over again in the chest. Boom, boom, boom. He put me in the chokehold just like he did before. I think he wanted to finish me off. I thought to myself, not again. I can't breathe. Not again. I can't breathe. Same exact thing happened. Spots went in front of my eyes. And I remember praying, I'm too young to die. Please don't let me die. Please help me. And I lost consciousness again. Somehow I came to again, and I think at that point he thought I was dead because he walked off. So I start crawling, trying to crawl away where he couldn't see me. And I guess he must have heard the noise. And he comes running over there and he takes the knife and he just starts stabbing me. My adrenaline was pumping so hard that I couldn't feel the stab wounds. I wasn't feeling the pain, but I was experiencing the fear. And he was just saying, you stupid bitch. You stupid bitch. I thought to myself, this only way I'm gonna survive this is just to play dead. And he took the knife and he sliced my nipple. And then he tried to slice the end other one. I just lay there and pretended like I was dead. And then I heard him crank up the car. And I just felt in my spirit that he was going to run over me with the car. That was how he was going to finish me off, was he was going to run over me. I'm laying there and I'm thinking, I do not have the strength to roll over and get away. But all of a sudden, I did roll over into the ditch. And I think at that point, he realized I was still alive. And I'm sure he was thinking, why isn't this girl dead yet? He pulled me by the hair, beat me again, choked me again and again. I just pretended like I was dead. Just pretend like you're dead. Don't move a muscle. He will leave. You can crawl out of these woods. He checked to see if I was still alive. He put his finger under my nose, and I didn't breathe. I didn't move. And then he checked my pulse. I imagine it was very weak because I had lost so much blood. And he grabbed me by the hair and drug me by the head of my hair all the way to the car. And he picked me up sort of and pushed me in the backseat. And he cranked up the car, and he took off. I put my hand up to my lung because I'm starting to feel more than just a little bit of pressure. I'm starting to feel a little bit of pain. And I grab what feels like a clump of jelly. I remember thinking, I'm dying. I have died in the backseat of this car. God, I'm only 18, 19 in two days. I don't want to die this young. I remember telling God this is a 911 prayer. All of a sudden, I start thinking, I need to look for streetlights. There's gonna be people around. I'm gonna be able to get help. And it just comes to me. Pretend like you have amnesia. Make him think that I do not remember what happened, that I cannot testify against him. If it came down to it. I know that somehow he needs to be the hero in all of this.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

When Rhonda saw streetlights, she put her plan into action.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

I sat up, and I think I startled the mess out of him when I sat up and I said, oh, my goodness, what happened to me? Oh, my goodness. Was I in a car accident or what are you Taking me to the hospital. Are you gonna save my life? Oh, thank you so much. I knew I had to feed him all of the answers I knew would make him think he wasn't going to get into trouble. And it worked. And he was like, yeah, you had a car accident, and I'm gonna take you to the hospital.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Rhonda asked her rescuer to take her to the store first.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

And I said, oh, my throat hurts. Can you stop and get me some water before we get to the hospital? He was like, okay, calm down, calm down. I'll take you to the store. I'll get you something to drink. And I'm like, I'm bleeding. Nobody can see me like this. And I wanted him to know that I was not gonna try to get out of the car and run away because I had blood all over me. I said to him, can you pull over to the side of the store so no one can see me? And can you run in there and get me something to drink? He got out of the car, and I saw him go to the side of the building, unzip his pants and pee in a cup. I knew he was in a vulnerable position. I figured that was. He was off guard, and that was a good chance. Then I just opened the back door of the car, and I took off running in the store with everything I had. I don't know how I ran and had the energy to run after what all had happened.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Rhonda made it inside the store, and the clerk locked the door before calling 911.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

I collapsed, and my adrenaline stopped pumping. And I felt every single bit of pain at that point, from my throat to my chest to my nipples to my back, to every place he had punched me. It was like it all came 100%. Never had I felt so much pain, but I knew I was safe. It seemed like forever before the ambulance got there, because I remember laying on the floor thinking, come on. Please, God, I'm gonna die.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Rhonda was taken to the hospital and treated for her serious injuries. Her abductor was arrested that same night.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

I found out that he was only 16 years old. Only 16 years old, and did all of that. I don't know that I've ever gotten over that.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Timothy Jordan was sentenced to 40 years for kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, and grand theft auto.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

I survived because I don't think God was finished with me yet, because I earnestly prayed and asked him to save my life. And he did. And I promised him that I would take that life and use it. And I have. I changed my major in college at the time, and I went into counseling. One of the first jobs that I had was working at the Children's Advocacy center, interviewing children who had been sexually abused. And at that time I started realizing that's kind of where the sexual dysfunction happens when someone's been sexually abused as a child and that behavior pattern sets up them to sometimes become offenders. I feel that if you can reach them when they're still young, when they're juveniles, you can prevent something like this from happening.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Finding the one can feel impossible, and in today's world, it's even harder. False profiles, Inaccurate pictures Incompatibilities Ghosting on dates Is this sounding familiar? But if you're ready to make your move to a new place, it doesn't have to feel like dating. All it takes is a simple search on apartments.com to find your perfect match. Whether you're looking for a three bedroom condo downtown, a two bedroom duplex in a quiet neighborhood, a cozy studio in a walkable city, or even a single family home in a cul de sac, you can find a place that checks all the right boxes. So whichever stage of life you're in, settle down in your perfect home by using apartments.com no more swiping and awkward first dates. Make it easier to get a place that gets you visit apartments.com, the place to find a place Insurance isn't one size fits all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's Name your price tool for years. With the Name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay, and they show you options that fit your budget enough. Hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy. Or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family. Either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork, no surprises. Ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be? Visit progressive.com and give the name your price tool a try. Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law

[Pluto TV Announcer]

hello and welcome to plutofo. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, just stream it for free on Pluto tv, where all your blockbuster favorites are landing all summer long. Catch Anchorman, the Legend of Ron Burgundy, Fantastic Men in Black one through three.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

That's what I'm talking about about mean girls.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Shut up.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Titanic. I'm the king of the world. And so much more. For Showtime's press. Nothing. They're free 24. 7.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

That is so effective on Pluto TV

[Pluto TV Announcer]

stream now pay never.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

It's November 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. Patrick is a defense attorney married to Lisa, a realtor.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

We laughed a lot. We just had a good time and there was such good chemistry between us. We found out in about September, October of 2009 that Lisa was pregnant. And for us, that was just everything. We were just so overjoyed. We couldn't wait to tell our parents. Lisa had a twin sister named Carla, and they were two peas in a pod. They were inseparable. They were just everything to each other. They also had an older brother and he was estranged from the family over the course of four years. I'd only met the guy four times. He didn't make appearances at family gatherings. He didn't even come over to his immediate family very much. The extended family didn't really want him there. The brother was a potential troublemaker with the family and he harbored some bitter feelings towards his sisters.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Lisa's brother had a history of irrational and threatening behavior towards family members.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

Lisa and Carla had both told me stories about how he would beat them up. I mean, his little sisters. Lisa's parents, they had always hoped that he would get better over time.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

On Thanksgiving, Lisa and Patrick attended a large family gathering.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

We're at Thanksgiving dinner at her cousin's house. You can smell the turkey and you can smell the spices in the air. And everyone's laughing and smiling and just having a really good time. All of a sudden the phone rings and Lisa's father starts talking to somebody and giving directions and we realized it was her brother. I remember looking at Lisa, she was across the room and I mouthed to her, your brother's coming. Elisa's parents actually invited him up to Thanksgiving in Jupiter without telling anybody. People were a little bit uneasy, but they thought maybe, you know, he's gonna come up and everything's gonna be fine when he comes in the door. I think it was a little overwhelming for him because the whole family greeted him with love. Some of these people hadn't seen him in 10 years. For the first time ever, he gets introduced to his six year old cousin Mikayla, and she looks up at him and she gives him a big smile and he kind of says hi to her. A little uneasy at that point, we decided that it was time for us to have dessert.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

After dinner, Mikayla went to bed, and the guests got ready to leave. While Lisa said her goodbyes in the living room, Carla helped Patrick wrap leftovers in the kitchen.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

Leave. I noticed the brothers is in the kitchen, standing by himself. I went to Lisa's brother and I said, hey, we're getting ready to leave. And as I shook his hand, he pulled me in. He said, why don't you stay a little longer? And I said, oh, no, no, no. We're tired. We're gonna go home. After shaking his hand, I turned towards Carla to get the food she was carrying. It was a couple trays of food, and the next thing I know is, bang, bang, bang. I felt like I got punched in the stomach. I didn't know what was going on. I hardly even knew that I had been shot in the stomach. Elisa was behind us about 5 or 10ft, saying goodbyes to people. I was holding the food. Carla goes down on one knee, and I didn't know what was going on, but I just felt something just awful, and my ears were ringing, and I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. When I looked down, I see Carla had gone down to one knee. And I look up, and I saw Elisa's brother standing there, and he had a gun, and he was pointing it right at my head. I could see the smoke still coming out of the gun as he's pointing it right at my face. And I took the food I had been holding, and I just threw it up in the air at him. And he shot again, and it missed. And I grabbed Carla and we dove out of the kitchen into the dining room. And the brother stepped in the kitchen. Bang, bang, bang. He's still shooting into the kitchen area in the family room where the other 14, 15 members of the family still were. And I said, he's got a gun. Call 91 1. He's got a gun. He turned around and he stepped right over me and pointed the gun down at my face. Here I am on the ground. The gun's four feet away from my face, and I don't want to give him an easy target, so I start moving my head back and forth, and he shoots. One bang. Goes through the collar of my shirt, and bang. Goes through the other side. There's a bullet hole right through the collar. So he was probably this far away from ending my life with a bullet to the head. He then turns away from me and goes back into the kitchen and keeps shooting at everybody in the other room. I was afraid he might try to shoot me again, so I crawled all the way across the dining room floor into the living room. I left a trail of blood all behind me. And I get into the living room, I can still hear bang, bang, bang. And the screaming and the wailing and people running out of the house and slamming doors to get away from him. I could hear him in the other room saying, I've waited 20 years to do this.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Patrick had no idea where his pregnant wife Lisa was. His sister in law, Karla, lay injured in the kitchen doorway.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

Her brother hops over Carla as he comes out of the kitchen and he starts running down the hallway towards me in the living room. And I was so afraid of what he might do that I just laid perfectly still, hoping he would just run by me. And he didn't shoot me, he just ran by me. And I see him enter the room of the six year old girl, Michaela, who had gone to bed earlier that evening. And I thought, oh no, there she is, she's. She's a sitting duck. And he went in there and bang. He comes partway out of her room, pauses, goes back in and shoots her a second time to make sure she's dead. Then I see him run out the door. And that was it. As I laid there on the floor then in the living room, my head was still ringing, but it was starting to clear up. The screaming ended. Carla, who was only 20ft away from me, stopped moaning. She had passed. No noises from the little girl's room, no noises from the other room. And I realized I was all alone. I looked down on my stomach and I could see the blood coming out like a strainer and pouring on the floor. This house has become a tomb of me and dead people. And there's no one here to save me. So as the ringing really started to clear up, the silence got even louder. And I just sat there and I thought, I'm gonna die. It was surreal. I felt like I was watching it in third person. It was me and dead people and no one's gonna come there to save me. The silence was so thick and heavy in the room. And I just sat there and I thought, there is no way I can survive losing this much blood. But then I heard thundering footsteps, just thundering footsteps come into the house. And I heard from one room fatal, another room fatal, another room fatal. And then I hear I got one that's alive. And all the thundering footsteps come over to me and they said, hang in there, buddy.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Patrick was rushed to the hospital and placed in an induced coma. The gunshot had ruptured his Stomach and intestines, causing life threatening complications.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

I had pneumonia, I had pancreatitis, one of my kidneys was removed and the other one stopped working for an entire month. I had so many infections in my body. Because you gotta imagine if you're shot in the stomach after eating a big Thanksgiving dinner, the food's going to spill out to all these nooks and crannies of your body. And they told my parents, if he does survive, we expect him to either be a vegetable or severely brain damaged.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

After three months, Patrick's condition improved enough for him to be woken from his coma.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

My parents would come in to visit, my brother and his wife would come in to visit, but no Lisa. I assumed that Lisa hadn't come because she must be five or six months pregnant and probably can't be around the germs in the icu.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

After he had been awake a few days, Patrick's parents asked a priest to pray with him.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

In the middle of the prayer, he says and lord, please let her watch over him. Let her be his guardian angel. And my eyes popped open and I looked at my mother and I could see her eyes welled up with tears and I just knew. And I looked at her and I mouthed, who? Who? Lisa? And she just lost it. My body started to move and retch and heave and I opened my mouth to wail, but no sound came out. That moment, it was the lowest point in my life.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Lisa, her unborn child, her sister Carla, her cousin Michaela and her aunt Raymond were all killed. Lisa's brother Paul marriage was arrested at a Florida Keys resort after a five week manhunt. He was convicted of first degree murder and received seven life sentences. Patrick now gives lectures on living with trauma.

[Patrick (Shooting Survivor)]

I survived because of the positive attitude that I have always had in life. I mean, I've always kind of seen the glasses half full. And once tragedy struck, I was able to continue to use this kind of positive energy. And I think that's really what did it.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

I've definitely had stretches where I knew something felt off mentally and therapy helped, but it didn't always feel like the full picture. Sometimes you want a clearer answer or to understand what's actually going on and what your options are. That's where talkiatry comes in. It's a fully online psychiatry practice, not just talk therapy. So you're meeting with licensed medical providers who can diagnose and if appropriate, prescribe medication for things like anxiety, depression, ADHD and more. What stands out to me is how straightforward it is. You do a quick assessment. Get matched with a clinician who fits your needs and you can book your first visit in just a few days. And you keep seeing the same provider, so you're building real continuity, not starting over every time. They also accept most major insurance, which makes it a lot more accessible than you might expect. More than 300,000 patients have already found high quality psychiatric care through talkiatry. If you've been feeling like you need

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

more than just talk therapy, it might

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

be time to try Talkiatry. Head to tokiatry.com isurvived to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's tochiatry.com isurvived to get matched in minutes I used to treat good protein like fish or steak as an occasion thing. If I was cooking on a random weeknight, I'd just grab whatever looked decent at the store and hope for the best. And you could taste it. It was fine, but never great. Trying Omaha Steaks really changed that for me. Now I keep my freezer stocked and it's just as easy to make something high quality on a Tuesday as it is on a special occasion. I made their top sirloin filets recently, Quick Pan Sear finished in the oven and the flavor and texture was on a different level. Way more tender and way more flavor than what I was used to.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

The convenience is amazing too.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

You can build your own plan. It ships right to your door and everything's individually sealed and portioned so you're not wasting anything. And with so much variety, steaks, burgers, pork, chicken, seafood, you'll never get stuck in a routine and they're all frozen at their moment of peak flavor, texture and quality. It just makes everyday meals feel a lot more special without adding extra effort. Omaha Steaks have been perfecting the art of premium protein for over 100 years with zero compromises. Never settle for grocery proteins again and this year, get dad the tender, flavorful proteins he deserves for Father's Day. Coming up on June 21st. Shop the specials and order the perfect gift in time for father's [e-mail] and get $35 off when you use Promo Code Survived at checkout. That's omahasteaks.com, code survived. Terms Apply C Site for details.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

It's March 2012 in Pekin, Indiana. Jason and his girlfriend have recently moved into a double wide mobile home.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

It was a fairly small town of just a couple hundred people and I lived about a mile outside of the town. There was A trailer parked directly across the road had about seven or eight trailers. Just a small little neighborhood. We had already heard the day before, March 1, that there was going to be really bad weather coming into the area. It was all over the news. So I was at home just glued in front of the TV for several hours.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Jason's girlfriend was at work teaching at a nearby school. Around 2pm Jason heard reports of a tornado touching down 25 miles away.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

Normally, they move west to east, and it was quite a bit south of me, so I really wasn't too worried. I got up and walked outside, and even before I stepped out onto the porch, I saw a black wall of debris and wind. And I've never seen a tornado before, but I knew it was a tornado as soon as I saw it. I just instinctively yelled out, tornado. The first thing that I heard was a scream.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Jason's neighbors, Joe, Mariah, and their three small children were in their trailer home.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

I looked to my left, and Mariah was screaming and holding the baby. I started thinking, they're in a trailer. I'm in a bigger mobile home. And I was just like, get out of your trailer. Get out. You know, get into my house. Get into my house. And Joe, her boyfriend, stuck his head out the door. You know, he saw it. I said, joe, it's a tornado. It's right on top of us. Let's. Let's go.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Mariah ran to Jason's house with the baby.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

Joe turned, went back in, grabbed the two, plus the two children, and he was holding both of them in his arms. And I grabbed baby angel. And we just both turned at that point and headed straight back towards my house. I did turn to look. All I can remember seeing was hearing the roar of it and seeing this big black cloud. We knew it was close enough to know that we were in trouble.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Jason hurried everyone into his house.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

I said, get in the hallway and get down on the ground. Get down. Get down on your stomachs. I heard metal banging on the off the buildings. I heard it hitting the house. I don't remember being afraid. I love tornadoes. I love storms. I walk out in them. I'll be the last man in the house. So I told them, I'm gonna go. I don't think I told him, I'm take a picture, but I'm turning the camera on on my phone as I walked to the door. When I pulled the front door open, I remember a gust of wind hit me and I saw it. It was like eating the end of my garage. Joe, I knew him quite well, he was 21, Mariah, also 21. And they had three babies. The youngest one was Kendall, a baby girl, about 2 months old. Angel was 15 months old, and Jaden was not even 3 years old yet. Joe seemed fairly calm and the children were fairly calm. I believe angel was crying a little bit. Mariah was terrified. This whole time, she was more aware of the danger, I think.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

With the neighbors in his hallway, Jason went to take a picture of the tornado on his phone.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

When I opened the front door, the first thing that I saw was this black wall outside. I felt this fear shoot through me that it really was gonna run right over us. I said, get down now. It's right outside. I didn't have time to take a picture. I just remember turning around, slamming the door, diving on top of everybody else. We just put my arms over the top of everybody and I started praying. And before I got more than seven or eight words out of my mouth, it hit the house. It shook the house so hard, you know, you could hear everything. It was just like, this thing's going to fall apart. I heard a boom, a loud boom, and the windows were blowing out of the house. Immediately following, I felt the floor come up underneath of me. And just that quick, the house just started to lift. The house was several feet, probably 5, 10ft in the air, spinning. When we blacked out. When I came to, I realized that I was a long ways off the ground. I remember looking down and seeing the ground, seeing the funnel shape of the actual tornado. I remember looking down and my thought was, I'm 50ft off the ground, how am I going to get down? I was on the inside of this thing, spinning around in circles. I saw debris laying behind me. I was in this little hollow space, smack dab in the middle of a tornado, right in the funnel of it laying on the inside of the wind wall. I was awake for maybe two or three seconds at the most, and then I just blacked right back out. The next thing I recall was waking up face down in the mud, picking up my head and not knowing where I'm at, not knowing who I was just blank, just completely blank. It had just poured. It was still raining. It was cold. I was shivering, and there was a shooting pain in my back and in my side. I tried to stand up and I couldn't stand up.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

A police officer found Jason lying in the mud.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

He helps me up a little bit, and I finally get up and he walks me into the sawmill. You know, I can hardly walk. I'm kind of limping. In there. And he sits me down on a five gallon bucket. And I sat there like a dead man. I didn't know my name. The pain was so extreme that. And I was in so much shock at that point, I couldn't remember anything. I remember trying to focus on my name. What is my name? After a few minutes, you know, I was like, my name's Jason. And it just started flooding back to me. And the same instant that I realized my name and I realized the neighbors. I brought the neighbors into my house. You gotta find the neighbors. We gotta find them. And people just scattered and went to look for him.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Jason was rushed to the hospital where he was told his arm was broken in seven places. He had five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken back.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

The first thing that came to me was that I was alive. Wow. You know, I'm alive. What is the purpose of this? And I started to ask, you know, what happened to this family, Joe and Mariah, are they okay? The babies, are they okay? And I never got clear answers. The doctors had told them, do not tell him. It was Sunday afternoon, two days later, before they told me, angel was alive in intensive care at the hospital, right next to me. Joe, Mariah, and the other children, you know, had. Hadn't made it. But two hours after I found out, I was watching the news and I heard this lady say my name. And she said, if you're watching this, we're sorry to tell you that angel was just taking off life support. I understand that they wouldn't have been safe in their trailer, and I understand that it's not my fault what happened, but there's something about the fact that I took the responsibility to bring them into my house. I almost drugged them into my house. And the fact that they died in my house, I felt this sense of responsibility and of guilt.

[Narrator - True Crime Story]

Joe, Mariah, and their children were found 150 yards from where Jason's house had been. Both homes were completely destroyed by the tornado.

[Jason (Tornado Survivor)]

What I feel inside and the hurt that I felt that day from that family was way more difficult than any physical damage that was done to me. And it was harder to move past. And it still is. I survived because of an absolute miracle. There's no way that someone can physically survive what I went through. And I believe it was a miracle.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Finding the one can feel impossible. And in today's world, it's even harder. False profiles, inaccurate pictures, incompatibilities, ghosting on dates. Is this sounding familiar? But if you're ready to make your move to a new place, it doesn't have to feel like dating. All it takes is a simple search on apartments.com to find your perfect match. Whether you're looking for a three bedroom condo downtown, a two bedroom duplex in a quiet neighborhood, a cozy studio in a walkable city, or even a single family home in a cul de sac, you can find a place that checks all the right boxes. So whichever stage of life you're in, settle down in your perfect home by using apartments.com no more swiping and awkward first dates. Make it easier to get a place that gets you visit apartments.com, the place to find a place.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Hello and welcome to plutofo. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, just stream it for free on Pluto tv, where all your blockbuster favorites are landing all summer long. Catch Anchorman the Legend of Ron Burgundy.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

Fantastic.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Men in Black one through three.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Mean Girls.

[Commercial Announcer - Various Ads]

Shut up.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Titanic. I'm the king of the world. And so much more. For showtimes, press nothing. They're free 24. 7.

[Rhonda (Survivor)]

That is so fast on Pluto TV.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Stream now. Pay never.

[Harrison Prentice (Musician)]

Hey, I'm Harrison Prentice, and for years I kept putting my dream of making music on the back burner. Then I decided it was time to stop waiting and go all in. That journey inspired my new song, Monsters. It's about confronting the fears, doubts and inner battles that we all face. So if you've ever felt like you were carrying something heavy that no one else could see, this song is for you. Check out Monsters wherever you listen to your music and follow me on social media at harrisonprintice Music. Thanks for listening.

[Commercial Announcer - Lowe's]

You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Harrison Prentice (Musician)]

Ever notice how life's best stories don't happen in your living room? They happen on the open road, out on the water or parked under the stars. At Progressive, they get that you want to focus on the experience, not worry about the what ifs. That's why they offer quality insurance designed for your ride and whether that's a boat, RV or motorcycle adventure with confidence. Visit progressive.com and see how easy it is to protect your favorite way to get away. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in D.C. prices vary based on how you buy.