Cold Case Files: "I SURVIVED: He Has A Meat Cleaver" (December 20, 2025)

Host: Paula Barros
Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Theme: Firsthand survival stories from victims who faced life-threatening attacks, focusing on courage, resilience, and the will to live.

Episode Overview

This episode of Cold Case Files features three harrowing accounts of survival—stories told directly by survivors who endured brutal attacks. These stories highlight not only the sheer horror of facing death but the extraordinary determination and resourcefulness that allowed each survivor to escape. The episode interweaves raw, emotional storytelling with forensic context, immersing listeners in the reality of cold cases and the rare instances where victims live to tell the tale.

Story 1: Jen’s Ordeal – “He Has a Meat Cleaver”

• Location: Fairfield, Ohio
• Date: June 2011
• Survivor: Jen

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Context & The Relationship

  • Jen dated Robbie for five months, describing him as caring and good with her three children. There were no warning signs of violence or jealousy (02:18).
  • Her children were staying at their grandmother’s so she could study (02:41).

• The Sudden Turn

  • In the early hours, Robbie, high on cocaine, accused Jen of poisoning him with battery acid (03:04).
  • He threatened her with a meat cleaver, his demeanor turning demonic:

    “His eyes were dark, they were shallow. They looked like there was nothing behind him.” – Jen (03:32)

• The Attack Unfolds

  • Jen tried to reason with Robbie and suggested he call 911, but he instead demanded she drink gin he believed was poisoned (03:51).
  • When her gag reflex prevented her from swallowing, Robbie attacked—first chopping through her hand, then her elbow and upper arm (04:16–06:24).
  • He poured boiling water down her throat, burned her with cigarettes, and degraded her further:

    “At no point did I feel that I was going to plead with him. ... Begging would just give him greater satisfaction.” – Jen (06:27–07:39)

• The Escape

  • After hours of torture and as she was losing blood, she pleaded for her children and realized she had to escape (07:45).
  • As Robbie turned, she fled into the hallway, knocking on neighbors’ doors while being attacked further:

    “Every step that I take, he’s right behind me, and I could just feel him continually chopping at me. He was chopping my skull and my back, just trying to kill me.” – Jen (08:16)

  • Severely wounded—with both hands useless—she kept knocking until a neighbor opened a door and pulled her inside (10:54).

• Aftermath and Survival

  • Robbie was found naked outside and arrested (11:25).
  • Jen was airlifted to the hospital, where surgeons reattached her hands after nine hours of surgery (11:44–12:16).

    “I survived because I knew that I had to remain calm. ... I survived because I wasn’t ready to die.” – Jen (12:54)

  • Robbie pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 10 years; diagnosed a sociopath who set out to torture and kill her for amusement.

Notable Quotes / Moments

• “I could see my body being mutilated in front of me and I could see the blood and the inside of my body.” – Jen (06:00)
• “Look, I didn’t just survive all this for you to tell me I’m gonna die. ... My head kind of hurts, and can I have a pillow?” – Jen, to paramedics (11:44)
• “He spent all this time building up my trust so that he could then watch in amusement as he tortured me and then killed me.” – Jen (12:54)

Segment Timestamps

• 03:00 — Robbie’s Paranoia and Drug Use
• 04:16 — The Attack Begins
• 07:39 — Four Hours In, Jen Pleads for Her Life
• 08:50 — Door-to-Door Escape
• 10:54 — Neighbor Opens the Door
• 11:44 — Hospitalization & Recovery
• 12:54 — Psychiatric Evaluation and Jen’s Reflection

Story 2: Blake and Neil’s Alaskan River Ordeal

• Location: Koyukuk River, Alaska
• Date: June 2003
• Survivors: Blake (son) and Neil (father)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Setting Off on the Adventure

  • Father and son embark on a rafting trip, dropped in remote wilderness (15:38).
  • The trip takes a dangerous turn when late-season ice still crowds the river.

• Disaster Strikes

  • Their raft gets wedged under ice, flips, and both are swept beneath (17:12).

    “There was no air pocket to breathe... We were so close to death at the time, and we both knew it and realized it.” – Blake (18:14, 18:31)

  • They escape with minor injuries but without supplies, 60 miles from civilization.

• Survival Mode

  • Blake checks for a lighter—luckily found—essential for fires (20:27).
  • Next morning, Blake decides to hike for help, facing bears and traversing river branches (21:19).

    “Shortly after I started the hike, probably within an hour or so, I ran into a black bear ... I crouched down...” – Blake (21:47)

• Neil’s Vigil

  • Neil must keep the fire going with no lighter—both worry for each other, haunted by hunger and predators (23:43).

• The Rescue

  • After three nights, a bush pilot spots Blake and coordinates the rescue with a helicopter (25:18).
  • Father and son are reunited, both shaken but alive.

    “I survived because I had a reason to live. I had a wife, a child, and one on the way. And I also believe it’s just part of the human instinct to want to survive.” – Blake (27:01)

Notable Quotes / Moments

• “We were being pushed along by the current ... Just how long you hold your breath.” – Neil (18:24)
• “I survived because a bush pilot happened to be taking a couple of guys from Prudhoe Bay on a sightseeing tour...” – Neil (26:46)

Segment Timestamps

• 15:38 — Rafting Trip Set-Up
• 17:12 — Raft Flips Under Ice
• 20:27 — First Cold Night and Inventory
• 21:19 — Blake’s Trek and Bear Encounters
• 25:18 — Rescue by Bush Pilot

Story 3: Tiffany’s Survival – Stabbed and Left for Dead

• Location: Tucson, Arizona
• Date: October 2001
• Survivor: Tiffany

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Attack

  • College junior Tiffany returns home from class to find an intruder who binds, gags, and then sexually assaults her at knifepoint (27:31–29:00).
  • The attacker asks her disturbing, degrading questions during the rape (29:00).

• Fight for Life

  • Afterwards, he slashes her throat from ear to ear, twice (29:41).

    “I could hear the flesh tearing and I couldn’t feel any pain. But the knife was cutting my throat.” – Tiffany (29:43)

  • She realizes she’ll bleed to death in minutes without help, and with her hands still bound, she escapes the house (31:24).
  • Terrified, she races to a neighbor’s house, where a child opens the door. The neighbor wraps her in blankets and calls for help (34:10).

• The Aftermath

  • Tiffany is rushed to the hospital and survives. Police DNA identifies James Allen Selby as her attacker after a year of terror and vigilance (35:33).

    “Relief just doesn’t even describe how I was feeling when I found out that he was actually caught.” – Tiffany (35:46)

  • Selby is convicted on 27 counts but dies by suicide before sentencing. Tiffany credits her survival to faith and support:

    “I survived because God said not yet. ... I continue to survive because of the relentless love of friends and family and because there’s so much to live for.” – Tiffany (36:29)

Notable Quotes / Moments

• “Every cell in my body, every fiber of my being was just focused on survival. In that moment.” – Tiffany (32:30)
• “He left me for dead and I wasn’t dead. And I was so scared that he was going to come and find me and finish the job.” – Tiffany (35:19)

Segment Timestamps

• 27:31 — Tiffany Arrives Home; Assailant Strikes
• 29:41 — Throat Slashed
• 31:24 — Escape to Neighbor
• 35:33 — Arrest and Aftermath

Thematic Insights & Takeaways

• Human Will to Survive: Each story underlines an almost primal resourcefulness and drive to live, even as logic or physical limits would seem to dictate otherwise.
• Unpredictability of Danger: Victims often know (or trust) their attackers, or are taken by complete surprise.
• Aftermath and Recovery: Surviving the initial attack is only the beginning; long-term healing—physical and psychological—depends greatly on support networks, faith, and inner resilience.
• Breakthroughs and Justice: Advances in forensic science, determination of investigators, and moments of luck (like a bush pilot’s route) are crucial in cold case resolutions.

Notable Episode Quotes

• “Look, I didn’t just survive all this for you to tell me I’m gonna die.” – Jen (11:44)
• “There was no air pocket to breathe… We were so close to death at the time, and we both knew it and realized it.” – Blake (18:31)
• “I survived because God said not yet. That wasn’t the end of my story.” – Tiffany (36:29)

Key Segment Timestamps

• 03:00–13:39: Jen’s Attack and Escape
• 15:38–27:25: Blake and Neil’s Alaskan Survival
• 27:31–37:07: Tiffany’s Assault and Aftermath

This episode is a powerful testament to human resilience in the face of unimaginable violence and peril, reminding listeners that cold cases, while rare, are sometimes solved by the strength and determination of the victims themselves.