I SURVIVED: I Was in My Own Vampire Movie

Summary

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Cold Case Files: "I SURVIVED: I Was in My Own Vampire Movie"

Podcast Date: August 1, 2026
Host & Narrator: Marisa Pinson / A&E
Summary by Podcast AI

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Episode Overview

This chilling episode of Cold Case Files (I Survived series) features three harrowing survival stories recounted directly by those who experienced them. Each story involves ordinary people facing life-threatening scenarios—an attempted murder by a serial killer, a terrifying home invasion by a bear, and a psychotic attack reminiscent of a horror film. Through raw first-person narratives, the episode probes the unpredictable face of danger and the resilience needed to survive.

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Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. The "Dexter Killer": Gilles' Escape From a Murderous Trap

(Starts 01:07)

Story Breakdown:

• Background:
  In 2008, Edmonton, Canada, Gilles—recently separated and lonely—joins an online dating site.
• Strange Date Arrangements
  • Gilles is lured by a woman named "Sheena" (profile: Spiderwebs) who gives only vague directions (03:33).
  • Sheena refuses to give an address or phone number; Gilles must enter through an open garage.
• Attack in the Garage
  • Upon entering, Gilles is ambushed and assaulted by a masked man wielding a stun baton (04:03).
  • The attacker, wearing a painted hockey mask and dark hoodie, attempts to subdue Gilles with duct tape and handcuffs.
  • Gilles' realization: "As soon as I saw him, I knew that this was no date. And my first thought was that I was gonna get mugged." (Gilles, 05:10)
  • A plastic gun is pulled; Gilles attempts escape several times, including slipping out of his jacket and crawling under the garage door, even as the assailant drags him back (10:12).
  • A nearby couple does not come to his aid.
• Survival and Guilt
  • Gilles escapes, but does not call the police out of shame and rationalization.
  • Learns a month later that another man (Johnny Altinger) was murdered in identical circumstances by Mark Twitchell, a wannabe horror filmmaker whose plot mirrored Gilles’ experience nearly exactly (13:10).
  • Police tie Twitchell to the scene using Altinger's friend's tips, finding a script on Twitchell's computer that describes in detail both attacks.
• Resolution & Reflection
  • Twitchell is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life (15:22).
  • Gilles is haunted by guilt, wondering if he could have prevented Altinger's death by coming forward sooner.
  • Gains solace when meeting Altinger's mother:
    • “She turned around, grabbed my hand and said, ‘I'm so thankful you're still with us.’ And that meant so much to me.” (Gilles, 15:38)
  • Quote: “I survived because I was able to plan out how I was going to get away. ... I was a very lucky man.” (Gilles, 16:32)

Notable Segment Timestamps:

• 01:07 — Gilles describes first encountering his attacker
• 05:10 — Realization of the attack’s true nature
• 10:12 — Gilles’ struggle to escape
• 13:10 — Discovery of Twitchell’s other victim
• 15:38 — Meeting victim’s mother and survivor’s guilt

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2. Bear Attack in Pennsylvania: Angela & Richard's Ordeal

(Starts 18:43)

Story Breakdown:

• Setting:
  October 2011, wooded rural home in Pennsylvania. Richard leaves for work at 3am; Angela and their 10-year-old son, Josh, are asleep upstairs.
• Bear Invasion
  • Richard lets the dog out when a black bear follows it inside.
    • “I just turned around and I see this bear standing in the living room.” (Richard, 19:56)
  • Richard tries to control the bear; it bites him as he attempts to physically restrain it (21:30).
  • Angela runs downstairs after hearing screaming, and the bear turns its attention to her, attacking and biting (22:16).
    • “All of a sudden, the bear was no longer on top of my husband, but I was on the floor with the bear on top of me.” (Angela, 22:21)
  • Richard pulls the bear off Angela, is mauled again, but manages to drag the bear toward the open door. The bear exits—but attacks Angela again outside (24:14).
  • Both Angela and Richard are severely mauled before Richard again intervenes, finally causing the bear to flee into the woods.
• Aftermath and Recovery
  • Both survive with serious injuries:
    • Richard requires 34 staples and stitches on his head (27:13).
    • Angela endures deep bites and extensive wounds.
      • "The worst thing was probably an inch and a half, deep triangular shape chunk out of my left butt cheek. It was a rather interesting recovery." (Angela, 27:41)
  • The couple reflect on changes: never letting the dog out after dark, carrying a gun outside, and installing floodlights.
  • Angela attributes her survival to Richard’s bravery:
    • “To me, Rich is my hero. So without him, I don't think I would be here.” (Angela, 29:03)
  • Richard says:
    • “I survived because of my wife and my son. That's the bottom line. ... What saved me was my will to live for my family.” (Richard, 29:17)
  • Their son Josh, though unharmed, witnesses the blood-soaked aftermath.

Notable Segment Timestamps:

• 19:56 — Bear enters the house
• 22:16 — Attack on Angela
• 24:14 — Bear attacks resume on patio
• 27:13 — Hospital and recovery details
• 29:03 — Reflections on survival and gratitude

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3. "Vampire Movie": Jeffrey Survives a Psychotic Attack

(Starts 29:47)

Story Breakdown:

• Background:
  July 2000, Nanuet, New York. Jeffrey, 17, moves into a boarding house, sharing space with odd caretaker Dave.
• Disturbing Events:
  • Residents experience illness, suspecting Dave of poisoning vents with bleach (30:36).
  • Dave is caught watching another tenant sleep, has keys to every room (31:18).
  • No one suspects Dave’s severe mental illness.
• Assault in the Night:
  • Jeffrey wakes at 1am to Dave standing over him with a hammer and a sharpened cross, calling Jeffrey “Satan” and stating, “You're going to die, Satan. You're going to die tonight.” (Jeffrey, 32:04)
  • Dave attempts to "stake" him, then delivers multiple hammer blows to Jeffrey’s head (14 times).
  • Jeffrey escapes his room, crawling 20 feet down the hall while being stabbed (4 times) as Dave chases him (35:16).
  • Fellow tenants fail to help, but ultimately one friend (Jimmy) intervenes just as Dave is about to deliver a fatal knife blow (36:53).
• Aftermath and Recovery
  • Jeffrey is rushed to hospital, miraculously survives (37:34).
    • “I was hit 14 times in the head with a hammer, and stabbed in the back four times. I shouldn't be alive right now. I really shouldn't.” (Jeffrey, 37:40)
  • Dave is found insane and institutionalized.
  • Jeffrey experiences years of trauma and paranoia, finally gaining closure after running into Dave in a store 12 years later, where Dave apologizes.
    • “I took a deep breath and I shook his hand as hard as it was. ... Now ... I'm the person I used to be, just a lot better.” (Jeffrey, 38:44)
  • Attributes his survival partly to faith:
    • “I honestly believe I survived through the grace of God because I have faith, and I never lost the faith.” (Jeffrey, 39:34)

Notable Segment Timestamps:

• 32:04 — Attack begins: "You're going to die, Satan."
• 35:16 — Escaping and being stabbed in the hallway
• 36:53 — Friend Jimmy intervenes
• 37:40 — Medical aftermath
• 38:44 — Confrontation and closure

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Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gilles (Escape from Serial Killer):
  • “As soon as I saw him, I knew that this was no date. And my first thought was that I was gonna get mugged.” (05:10)
  • “When I found out that Johnny Altinger had died a week after my attack, I felt horrible. Because in my head I thought maybe if I would have went to the police sooner, he might have not died.” (15:33)
• Angela & Richard (Bear Attack):
  • “I look around and there's the bear and the dog standing in my living room. ... I don't know any kind of protocol how to get a bear out of someone's house.” (19:56, Richard)
  • “All of a sudden, the bear was no longer on top of my husband, but I was on the floor with the bear on top of me.” (22:21, Angela)
  • “I survived because of my wife and my son. That's the bottom line.” (29:17, Richard)
• Jeffrey (Attack by Dave):
  • "It was like I was in my own vampire movie." (38:04)
  • “He goes, you're going to die, Satan. You're going to die tonight.” (32:04)
  • “I was hit 14 times in the head with a hammer and stabbed in the back four times. I shouldn't be alive right now. ... It's a miracle.” (37:40)
  • “I honestly believe I survived through the grace of God because I have faith, and I never lost the faith.” (39:34)

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Thematic Takeaways

• Danger Lurks in the Ordinary: Each survivor believed their situation to be safe, whether online dating, a rural home, or sharing a house with a quirky neighbor.
• Fight, Flight, and Survival Instincts: The episode highlights the split-second decisions and sheer willpower required to survive.
• Trauma, Guilt, and Recovery: Survivors reflect on lingering guilt (Gilles), long recoveries (Angela & Richard), and the psychological toll endured (Jeffrey).
• Resilience and Closure: Though the effects linger, each survivor reclaims agency and finds some measure of personal healing.

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Episode Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment | Description | |----------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------| | 01:07 | Gilles’s luring/attack | Setup and ambush in garage | | 13:10 | Aftermath and guilt | Learning of Altinger’s death | | 18:43 | Bear attack in Pennsylvania | Incident begins | | 27:13 | Medical recovery | Aftermath and new precautions | | 29:47 | Jeffrey’s story begins | Troubled housemate and vampire-style attack | | 37:40 | Surviving trauma | Medical details and emotional aftermath | | 38:44 | Forgiveness and closure | Final confrontation with attacker |

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Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies Cold Case Files’ ability to interweave suspenseful storytelling with survivor testimony, emphasizing human fortitude in the face of the unimaginable. Each firsthand account is visceral, relatable, and at times emotionally overwhelming—leaving listeners both rattled and in awe of the human will to survive.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

This program contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some viewers. Listener discretion is advised.

[Gilles]

I see a pair of black metal handcuffs on the floor. And that's when I saw this man hovering over me in a painted up hockey mask.

[Richard]

My jaw literally just dropped like this didn't happen. I just turned around and I see this bear standing in the living room.

[Angela]

All of a sudden, the bear was no longer on top of my husband, but I was on the floor with the bear on top of me.

[Jeffrey]

It was like I was in my own vampire movie. He goes, you're gonna die, Satan. You're gonna die. And he's gonna pound a stake right through my chest.

[Narrator]

Real people who faced death and lived to tell how this is. I survived. It's October 2008 in Edmonton, Canada. Gilles separates from his wife and moves to a new town. He decides to join an online dating website.

[Gilles]

I was getting lonely and just wanted to go out and do things with people. So I decided to go on this online dating website just to try to meet people. I saw this one profile and I decided to respond. She seemed pretty, very good looking woman. She was blonde, about five, six. And so I decided to contact her. She responded to me immediately through online messaging. Her profile name was Spiderwebs, but she later told me her name was Sheena. The way it usually works is normally you chat with a woman for a few weeks, get to know each other, but. But this time she wanted to meet right away. The only communication I ever had with Sheena was through the Computer with online messaging. So I'm about to go on a date with this girl that I've never. I don't even know, I've never heard her voice. And the worst case scenario in my head was that if I didn't like her, I didn't have to see her again. What we planned was to go for dinner and a movie and. And I'm a pretty nice guy. I decided I'm going to be the gentleman and decide to go pick her up.

[Narrator]

Sheena sent Gilles detailed directions to her house.

[Gilles]

Usually you get a phone number and an address, but she wouldn't give them to me at all. Instead she gave me these weird instructions to get to this to her house. I couldn't park in front of the house, I had to go to the back. She told me that she lived in the basement suite of this house and that was the only way I could get in. So that's why she left the garage door open.

[Narrator]

Following Sheena's instructions, Gilles parked in the driveway.

[Gilles]

I parked my truck right in front of the garage door that was open and I got out and I was such in a rush to get go pick her up because I was late. And so I crouched under the garage door. I noticed it was really dark. There was something on the windows and I was very bewildered. I shuffled over to the side and then I felt somebody punching me in the head. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know if maybe Sheena was trying to play a trick on me because I was late. And so I had no idea. I turned around and looked back and that's when I saw this man hovering over me in a painted up hockey mask. All I could see was his eyes. He was about 6 foot tall and he had a dark hoodie and he was wearing. What scared me the most was he was wearing this hockey mask. Painted up hockey mask. It was cut up at the mouth and just all painted up black and gold. Soon as I saw him, I knew that this was no date. And my first thought was that I was gonna get mugged. He was zapping me with this stun baton all over my chest. He cut off my way so that I couldn't get to the door and then kept using this stun baton. Every time he triggered it, it turned blue and it made this like really eerie noise. Like a T T T T T T very loud. This baton. It seemed like it was giving me little electrical shocks but. But it wasn't really hurting me. It was just zapping me.

[Narrator]

Although Gilles Felt no pain. The stun baton was paralyzing him.

[Gilles]

I knew I needed to get away, get out of there, survive, stay alive. That's all I'm thinking about. So I throw a punch, and I think I get him in the stomach area, but it felt so weak. I'm not the biggest guy or anything, but I can punch a little harder than what that felt like. And I couldn't figure out why I was so weak. I decided to run and try to get to the door. And he just cut me off and pulled out a gun on me. I just froze. I knew once he pulled out the gun that I would just have to do whatever he asked me to do. He screams at me, get down on the ground. Put your face down and put your hands to the back. I do whatever he asks immediately. He then comes over and stands in front of my face and takes out some duct tape. I don't know where it came from, but took out some duct tape, ripped a piece off, and taped my eyes. It was almost like life flashed before my eyes. I started thinking about all these images of my family and that they would never see me again. And I just started crying. And all of a sudden, I hear a jingling noise. And I didn't know what that was, if it was a weapon or if he was gonna rape me. And I knew he would probably tie up my hands somehow. So I knew that if I wanted to do something, I had to do it right that moment. So I get up. I ripped the tape off my eyes. All of a sudden, I look down, and I see a pair of black metal handcuffs on the floor. I was very, very angry when I saw the handcuffs, because I knew it was just a lot more than a mugging. He starts yelling at me to get back down on the ground. Get back down on the ground. I wouldn't. I won't. I'm ready to fight now. So I dart forward, and he pulls out the gun again, and he points it at me. And this time I decided I'm just gonna go forward. And I dart forward and grab the end of the gun. As soon as I grabbed the gun and moved it forward, I felt that the gun was plastic. We're just struggling with each other, and he's trying to overpower me, and I'm trying to overpower him. And he starts punching me in the head. And every time he punched me, I kept going a little closer to the door. Punched me again, closer to the door, until I looked at the door and I thought that I had a really good Chance that I could get under, out of there. So I turn around and he grabs hold of my jacket collar. And that's when I slip out of my coat, roll under the door and get outside. I take a foot forward to start running, and my legs were so weak, I fall right on my face onto the ground. But I know I needed to get away, so I start crawling down the driveway. He came after me fairly quickly and grabs a hold of my legs and starts dragging me back to the garage. I'm out of ideas. I don't know if he gets me back into that garage. I don't know what I'm gonna do.

[Narrator]

Gilles manages to crawl out of the garage, but the man drags him back.

[Gilles]

He tosses me back underneath the garage door and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm out of ideas. I don't know how I'm gonna fight this guy. He's so much bigger and stronger than me. And then I realized at that point that he didn't have a hold on me and I could maybe get away again. And then as soon as he got back into the garage, I rolled back underneath the garage door. As I get up, I look up and I see this couple walking their dog. I just said, there's a. There's a man mugging me. He's after me. Please help me. And they just froze. They just didn't know what to do. They didn't know what to think. Right after I said that, the man came after me. When he saw the couple, he didn't know what to do. He was so surprised. And then he started putting his mask. Adjusting his mask back on face. Then he looked at me and then pretended. Started pretending that we were best friends. And he says, come on, Frank. And turns around and starts heading back to the garage. The couple decide that they're not going to help me out and they keep walking. I couldn't believe it. I really needed their help. So I just said, aren't you gonna help me out? And the male frau of the couple started coming back to help me, but the female called him back. At that point, I knew they weren't gonna help me out anymore. My truck is parked right in front of the garage, the open garage door still. So I decide that I'm gonna go back to my truck on my own. But I'm trying to be very, very quiet. As I'm coming to my truck, I can see his feet at the bottom of the garage door, just pacing. I take the keys out of my pocket, unlock the Door. I tried to shut the door, turn the truck on and put it in reverse all at the same time. And I just took off. I was hurting so badly, but I knew I had to get home. And for some reason I had a cell phone on me. And I never even thought of calling the police. I didn't know who to call. I didn't have anyone to call. I. I kind of felt. It was almost like I felt ashamed that I got duped from. By this male, that he was pretending to be female. And I honestly, I think I tried to convince myself it was just a mugging and put it all behind me and just move on with my life.

[Narrator]

A month later, Gilles discovers that another man had been killed in similar circumstances.

[Gilles]

As soon as I saw the picture, I knew it was the same hockey mask. And it was probably the same man that attacked me. When I found out that the man that got killed went to the same garage. So I did. At that point, I knew I had to come forward and talk to the police.

[Narrator]

Johnny Altinger had also been lured to the garage by a fake online date.

[Gilles]

He had sent the instructions to his friends, telling him, hey, this is where I'm going, just in case something happens. Police got the information from Altinger's friends on where he went missing. That's how the police were able to search the garage. They found out this guy renting the garage, his name was Mark Twitchell. Altinger's blood was in the garage. And there was a bloody knife in Twitchell's car as well.

[Narrator]

The police also found the hockey mask worn by Mark Twitchell. 29 year old Twitchell was a rookie horror filmmaker.

[Gilles]

They got his computer from him. And on his computer they found a script. The script was about a serial killer. It was almost like a diary of. He was creating his own diary. Everything that happened to me was in the script. There was the garage, the hockey mask, the couple on the walking path. Just everything was in the script to the detail. Until I came forward. They didn't know if it was real or not. And found out it was. And there was two more people in there that he wanted to kill. And there's no doubt in my mind that he would have kept on killing.

[Narrator]

Mark Twitchell was found guilty on the first degree murder of Johnny Altinger. Twitchell was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

[Gilles]

When I found out that Johnny Altinger had died a week after my attack, I felt horrible. Because in my head I thought maybe if I would have went to the police sooner, he might have not died. When I went to the trial, I met his mom, Johnny Altinger's mother, and I didn't know how she'd feel towards me because of that. And when she saw me, she turned around, grabbed my hand and said, I'm so thankful you're still with us. And that meant so much to me. I survived because I was able to plan out how I was going to get away. The adrenaline was just pumping so much into my into me. And I think it was a lot of luck. I think this was I knew it was his first time, it just really felt like it was his first time. So I was a very lucky man.

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[Jeffrey]

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[Narrator]

It's October 2011 in Newport, Pennsylvania. Angela, Richard and their 10 year old son Josh live in a wooded area.

[Angela]

We actually built our home. We took enough trees out just to be able to basically build our house. So we actually live at the base of a mountain in a wooded lot. Wooded area.

[Narrator]

Richard started work every morning at 4am

[Richard]

so every morning I wake up about 2:50am on the dot, 10 of 3 every morning to get up, race out the door and get to work before 4 o'.

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[Angela]

That particular morning I remember him saying, I gotta go, love you, bye. And I repeated the same thing to him.

[Narrator]

Richard went downstairs and called for the family dog, Brindy.

[Angela]

Brindy is part husky, part pit bull. She's approximately 83 pounds and is a ball of energy.

[Richard]

So I yelled for her and I said, brendi, do you have to go potty? And so I thought, okay, opened the door for her and left her out.

[Narrator]

It's 3am And Richard, who is about to leave for work, lets the family dog out.

[Richard]

All of a sudden she starts growling and barking and snarling and I knew something wasn't right. I'm standing in the doorway and I'm yelling for the dog to get back here and I'm yelling at the top of my lungs.

[Angela]

I'm laying in bed, drifting back to sleep, when all of a sudden I hear Rich yell, brendi, come here Brendi, get back here. With a real sound of fear almost in his voice.

[Richard]

I'm calling for her and it's just dead silence.

[Narrator]

His dog is chased back inside by a black bear.

[Richard]

Then all of a sudden, here she comes. She bolted up onto the patio past me, but on her tail was a bear. And they both ran past me into the living room. As I stood there, my jaw literally just dropped like this didn't happen. I just turned around and I see this bear standing in the living room. I look around and there's the bear and the dog standing in my living room. Now the bear is standing on all fours, kind of like, where am I at? I don't belong here. And I thought, well, my wife and my son are upstairs. How do I get this bear out of the house? I don't know any kind of protocol how to get a bear out of someone's house. And you think I should be able to handle this bear, it probably weighed 200 to 250 pounds. Me, I'm 6 foot 6, 325 pounds. So I took matters in my own hands, literally. And I grabbed the bear around the neck with my two hands. I'm on my knees with this bear now. It bit me in the shoulder. And when it bit me in the shoulder, I was kind of. I went like. Yet I tried to keep quiet at the same time, not to wake my wife and my son. But in doing that, I heard my wife coming downstairs.

[Angela]

I got to the landing and ran down the stairs. Came around the corner and I looked to my right and laying on the floor is my husband with this big black furry thing on top of him. With the dog standing, looking at both of them at the same instant. I realized it was a bear and I screamed.

[Richard]

She shrieked and I guess it got the bear's attention.

[Angela]

All of a sudden, the bear was no longer on top of my husband, but I was on the floor with the bear on top of me.

[Narrator]

As Angela screams, the bear leaves Richard and lunges at her.

[Angela]

The moment that I screamed, the bear jumped on me and bit me on my left breast. I think I was in such shock, but I remember feeling a sharp, searing pain. Oh, that hurts. It just bit me. And before I knew it, the bear was no longer on top of me. In fact, I thought the bear had actually gone and that everything was okay. Then I came to realize that that wasn't the case, that the bear had now gotten back on top of my husband, who had knocked it off of me.

[Richard]

I pulled the bear off of her. Once again, I'm on the floor with this bear and I have the bear around the neck. And the bear was really snarled. I could hear her breathing kind of heavy. It wasn't like your typical grizzly you see in the movies where it's mouth wide open and drool flying everywhere.

[Angela]

I went to the doorway because the door was still open and thought, well, maybe the bearer will see me, or maybe I can coax it to the door and have it run out.

[Richard]

I'm looking over its head and I see our back door still open to the outside. And I thought, if I can pull this bear around on the floor jerking around, they can see the door was open. I literally just had it by the loose skin of its neck. And with all the strength that I got, I'm pulling this bear around. I got the bear turned around and didn't bite me again. And it took off outside the door. And I took a sigh of relief like okay, this is over. I got bit. We'll move on now. I thought, where's Angie at?

[Angela]

I'm standing on the patio step, which is basically in our doorway. And out of nowhere, the bear tackles me and slams me to the concrete patio.

[Narrator]

Richard gets the bear out of the house, but it mauls Angela on the patio.

[Richard]

There's Angie laying on her right side on the patio in a fetal position. And the bear is over top of her backside, over her hip, pulling at her hip and biting at her backside.

[Angela]

I'm yelling, oh, God, get the bear off me. Oh God, get it off me. Get it off me. It was biting and scratching and clawing

[Richard]

at me and I literally dove across her. 325 pounds of me dove over her into the bear. I tackled the bear and we wound up in the corner of the patio. Now this time I am under the bear. I feel the bear clawing at my back and biting at the back of my head.

[Angela]

The next thing I knew, like my wish had come true. Suddenly the bear was no longer on top of me, but in front of me on the patio. I see the bear on top of

[Richard]

Rich and I could feel it biting at the back of my head where my hair is. And I can hear like a chomp, almost like a. That's hard to describe. I guess if you were to bite into an ear of corn, it sounded kind of like that. But I just hear his chomp, feel, pull, leave, go, chomp. I mean, you can't really describe the strength of a wild animal. It's crazy.

[Angela]

The shock had finally worn off and the reality had hit me. He could die and this could be it.

[Richard]

As I'm holding this bear, my vision starting to get blurry and I started getting lightheaded and I thought, I don't want to go like this. I thought I was going to die.

[Narrator]

Their 10 year old son Josh is asleep upstairs. Richard pulls the bear off of Angela, but it is now attacking him.

[Richard]

The bear is on top of me and I feel while my vision's getting blurry and I'm feeling kind of weak and I'm thinking this was. I don't want to go this way. I thought this was it. My grip on the bear loosened and when it did, the bear just stopped. It just stopped. And I'm watching this thing like, where's it going next here? Just walks off into the woods.

[Angela]

Rich is covered from head to toe in blood, his gray T shirt unrecognizable as gray. I immediately know I need to get a phone and I need to call and get us help. I grab my cell phone and immediately dial 911. As I'm on the phone with him, I remember turning around in the kitchen, and there stands Josh. He sees both of us injured and particularly his dad covered in blood. That's actually the moment that it really hit me. Oh, my God. My son could have been involved in this.

[Narrator]

Paramedics rushed Richard and Angela to the hospital.

[Richard]

We got to the hospital, they said the back of my head looked like a can that was open. I took 34 staples and 34 stitches to suture up the back of my head. If I ever go bald, I can't imagine a roadmap. It'll be there.

[Angela]

The doctor told both he and I that a smaller man going through that bear attack most likely would not have survived.

[Narrator]

Angela suffered bites to her chest and back in the attack.

[Angela]

The worst thing was probably an inch and a half, deep triangular shape chunk out of my left butt cheek. It was a rather interesting recovery. You don't sit, you change the bandages. Or should I say Rich, Your wonderful husband changes your bandages several times a day. But fortunately, all we're left with now are some physical scars and some mental scars.

[Narrator]

Angela and Richard have taken precautions to prevent another bear attack.

[Richard]

I go out to my truck every morning to go to work. I have a gun in my hand. The dog no longer goes out after dark. We now have a floodlight out back, which lights up the whole back of the house through the woods. And you can see, oh, a good distance, at least a distance where I can see something coming.

[Angela]

I think the bear was as much out of his element as we were having a bear in our house. It was fighting for itself, ultimately, Just as we were fighting for ourselves and our lives.

[Richard]

We have no reason for the bear to have been there. We just live in the woods. It was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and my dog was left out, and that's what caused everything.

[Narrator]

Their dog Brendy, had minor scratches and bites and made a full recovery.

[Angela]

To me, Rich is my hero. So without him, I don't think I would be here. Other people and as well as he would say it was a team effort and that we both survived because we helped each other.

[Richard]

I survived because of my wife and my son. That's the bottom line. People tell me God saved you, and I believe in God, but in that statement that God caused this to happen also. So that's why I really think what saved me was my will to live for my family.

[Narrator]

It's July 2000 in Nanuet, New York. At the age of 17, Jeffrey leaves home and moves into a boarding house.

[Jeffrey]

I was just pretty much forced to move out from where I was at home into what I could afford. So at that age, I ended up getting two, three jobs, went to school and moved into a boarding house above a bar, which was just a whole bunch of rooms, about 12 rooms and just two bathrooms. Everyone shared together. It was cheap. Rental was perfect. One of the people in the building, his name was Dave. Dave was a tall guy. He was medium built and a little out there. He wasn't like normal people.

[Narrator]

For 13 years, Dave had been the resident caretaker.

[Jeffrey]

There was one time, like everyone started complaining that, you know, there's something, people in the building are getting sick. The landlord started looking around the building and figuring out what was making people sick. And he realized that there was some Clorox thrown in the air vents.

[Narrator]

The residents suspected Dave had put Clorox in the vents.

[Jeffrey]

Nobody caught him, but there was like Clorox in his garbage. But we tell the landlord and he would say, david's harmless. They wouldn't do anything like that. He's been there this many years. We all started really getting kind of nervous about Dave.

[Narrator]

The residents knew that Dave had keys to all their rooms.

[Jeffrey]

There was another guy in a room down the hall from us and a very nice guy, too. Never caused any problems. Kept to himself. And one day woke up and we heard screaming. We go outside and he was, you know, he's like, Dave. You know, Dave was in my room watching me sleep. What the heck you doing? You know? And, you know, Dave just would go into people's room and just watch him sleep, you know. And that's when people started getting very nervous about him.

[Narrator]

No one knew that Dave suffered from schizophrenia. And he was spiraling into a psychotic episode.

[Jeffrey]

I went to bed early one night. It was about 8 and 7:30, 8 o'. Clock. And I fell asleep really early. And I end up waking up about 1 in the morning. And to Dave standing over me with a hammer raised above his head. And his other hand was on my chest with a cross carved into a point. And, you know, I felt a cross on me and I looked up and I. I said, you know, dave, what are you doing? He goes, you're going to die, Satan. You're going to die tonight. It was like I. I was in my own vampire movie and this hammer is starting to come down and I look at the stake and I just push it right off my chest and push it off my chest. I guess My head came off my pillow a little, and the hammer just directly, really hard just hit me right in the head. He was swinging a hammer repeatedly at my head. And finally when I managed just to get Dave with my head on his side and my arms gripped around his body, and I used my legs and my knees just to launch myself up, he went flying into the wall. His back first. And then I went, like, head first into him into the wall. And that's when I realized it was concrete there, so it was pretty impossible to hear anybody scream. I'm. You know, it's like this. This isn't happening. But it is like. It's. It's real. It's happening. Nobody's helping me. Nobody hears me. I need to get help. Otherwise I'm gonna die.

[Narrator]

After trying to impale Jeffrey with a stake, Dave hits him with a hammer.

[Jeffrey]

He just kept whacking me in the head with a hammer. And every hit, I knew I was getting weaker. Dave's expressions on his face, I mean, the way his eyes just glazed directly into me, just looked like a demon right out of a movie. It wasn't him. It was a machine that couldn't. That. That. That couldn't be beat. He had one mission, and. And his only mission was to swing that hammer and hit me and hit me and hit me. I know that one. One of the hammers, actually, the head of the hammer directly went right, perfectly into my eye. Like, directly. Just didn't hit any bone sock, just directly into my eye. Every time I go to grab him, he hits me again. And each one's getting harder, or at least it feels harder. Yeah, he just keeps hitting me. And I never forget looking at my door saying, it's the door or the window. If I jump out the window, he wins. I die. If I get out my door, I have a chance. I felt a hammer just directly the dead center in the back of my head, just above my neck, just hit me really hard. And I pretty much tripped and collapsed into my door, and it just busted open, and I fell right into the hallway against the wall.

[Narrator]

Dave, who thinks Jeffrey is Satan, chases him into the hallway and stabs him.

[Jeffrey]

He pulled out a knife with a blade that was about 4 to 5 inches long. And he just got on top of me and stabbed me right in the back. I just felt this knife go right in my back. And I kept crawling down the whole hallway, and the hallway's about 20ft long. And he stabbed me another time. Now I'm screaming, help. I need help. Please help me. He's Dave's killing me. I'm gonna die. And I look behind me, and I see a door open in the back of the hallway. And there's this guy I knew. He just looked at me and he shut his door. Nobody cares. Nobody hears me. I'm done. I crawled, like, another six feet, and he stabbed me one more time for the fourth time. And I just fell backwards into this door. And I look at David, and he is literally covered in blood. His white T shirt's red. His pants have. All of his pants is blood, and his face is blood. And I never forget his baseball cap even had blood on it. And he's has a knife, and there's so much blood on. I was like, I can't do this anymore. And Dave said that this is. You're dying. You're gonna die, Satan. Right now. You're gonna die. And he raised his hand way up above his head with his knife.

[Narrator]

Jeffrey crawls along the hallway to the door of his friend Jimmy.

[Jeffrey]

I lean up against Jimmy's door, and I'm looking up at Dave, and Dave said that this is. You're. You're dying. You're gonna die, Satan. Right now. You're gonna die. And he raises the knife really high, like, above his head. All of a sudden, I fall. I fall backwards on Jimmy's door. And I knew his door opened. And I saw Jimmy's arms just grab Dave right by the wrists. And then before I know it, another lady runs out. Oh, my God. You know, calls the police. The police came, the EMS came, and I knew I was okay.

[Narrator]

Jeffrey was rushed to the hospital.

[Jeffrey]

I was hit 14 times in the head with a hammer, and I stabbed in the back four times. I shouldn't be alive right now. I really shouldn't, to be honest. You know, It's a miracle that I am.

[Narrator]

Dave was arrested, but the case did not go to trial.

[Jeffrey]

I got a contact from the state district attorney saying that Dave was found to be insane, and he's going away to a correctional facility for the Kremlin insane for undetermined amounts of time. It changed me the first couple years, but I did not trust anybody. It was like as if I was the crazy person now. Because I thought that everyone that walked by me, or even my own best friend who was giving me a ride to the store, that he would just stop the car at a red light, pull out a knife, and try to kill me. Like I was a nervous, nervous wreck.

[Narrator]

Twelve years later, Jeffrey saw Dave in a store.

[Jeffrey]

So I followed him, and I caught him in a woman's section. And I said, you Dave Bolton? He goes, yes, I'm Dave, and I really apologize, and I'm very embarrassed of what I've done to you and put you through. I took a deep breath and I shook his hand as hard as it was, and I said, all right, Dave. I hope you're doing well. Good luck. And I walked away. And that was it. Ever since that day, I'm not nervous of people anymore. I'm not nervous of confrontation. I'm not nervous of sticking up for myself anymore. Now I actually, since I saw him, I'm like, I'm the person I used to be, just a lot better. I honestly believe I survived through the grace of God because I have faith, and I never lost the faith. There was definitely people watching over me that night.

[Narrator]

Thank you for listening to I Survived.

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[Richard]

Fantastic.

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[Richard]

Welcome to the real world, mean girls.

[Angela]

Shut up.

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[Richard]

That is so fast.

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