Cold Case Files – "I Survived: I Can't Even Explain The Type Of Fear That I Felt"

Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: September 20, 2025

Overview

This powerful episode of Cold Case Files: I Survived features deeply personal accounts from three survivors—Lisa, Chris, and Jeanette—each describing the unimaginable terror of their ordeals and the resilience that enabled them to endure. Their stories range from a violent kidnapping and sexual assault in Lake Havasu, to surviving a catastrophic tornado in Alabama, and a chilling child abduction in San Jose. Through vivid, first-person narratives, listeners are taken inside moments of harrowing fear, desperate hope, and the unwavering will to survive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lisa’s Story: Kidnapping and Assault in Lake Havasu (June 1994)

• Setting: Lisa (19) and her best friend, after a night out at a club, are attacked in a parking lot.
• Assault: Lisa is held at gunpoint, forced into her car, and sexually assaulted in the presence of her terrified friend.
• Resistance and Escape: During a forced clothing change, Lisa courageously seizes a brief chance to run, escaping barefoot and injured, and seeks help at a nearby house.
• Aftermath: Despite her injuries and emotional shock, Lisa manages to help law enforcement locate her friend, who survives the ordeal. The attacker is never found.
• Resilience: Lisa credits her will to live and hopes for a future with giving her the strength to fight for survival.
• Notable Quote:
  • Lisa: "I can't even explain the type of fear that I felt at that moment." [04:40]
  • Lisa: "I survived because I'm a fighter. I was 19. I had a life to live... I came into this world swinging, and I'll leave this world swinging, and no one's ever gonna take my life from me." [12:14]

2. Chris’s Story: Surviving the 2011 Tuscaloosa Tornado

• Setting: Chris and his wife relocate to Alabama; on April 27, 2011, Chris is home with his dogs as a massive tornado approaches.
• Experience: Chris graphically describes the storm’s approach—comparing the tornado to "the size of Mount Everest" coming at him—and his attempts to protect himself and his dogs in a bathtub.
• Devastation: Chris witnesses his house being ripped away, trucks flying through the air, and survives in the sole remaining square foot of his home. He assists in search efforts before embarking on a tense, desperate search for his wife in the aftermath (eventually, he learns his wife is safe).
• Luck and Decision-Making: He credits a mix of correct decisions, calmness, and luck for survival.
• Notable Quote:
  • Chris: "Just imagine a car coming at you, a pickup truck coming at you on the highway. Now just imagine that to be the size of Mount Everest." [01:52]
  • Chris: "I survived because I did everything right. I did them in the right order. I didn't do anything wrong. And I got tremendously lucky." [25:55]

3. Jeanette’s Story: Child Abduction and Survival (June 2003)

• Setting: Nine-year-old Jeanette returns home from school in San Jose, discovering her house broken into.
• Abduction: A man, later identified as Enrique Sosa Alvarez, sexually assaults her, restrains and kidnaps her, attempting to hide her in his car as her family returns home. He violently attacks her brother and mother before fleeing with Jeanette.
• In Captivity: Jeanette endures repeated sexual assault and threats. Despite the trauma, she uses knowledge from forensic crime shows to covertly gather and hide evidence from her captor (items he touched, address, and phone number).
• Hope and Escape: Watching news coverage featuring her cousin's message gives her courage to survive and strategize. After three days, her captor unexpectedly releases her, threatening her family should she talk. Jeanette escapes and helps police capture her attacker using the evidence she collected.
• Resilience and Recovery: Jeanette highlights the long, difficult journey of recovery and the crucial support of her family.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Jeanette: "Either I'm going to fight to get out of here or die trying to." [34:40]
  • Jeanette: "I survived because of my family and the hope and just watching them on TV. And I survived because I helped myself out with him." [41:32]

Memorable Moments & Impactful Quotes

• Lisa on seeing her attacker’s face:
  "He had an evil grin on his face, and he looked at me and said, what would you do if I pulled this trigger?" [05:08]
• Chris on the aftermath of the tornado:
  "The house just disappeared up and to the right. A semi truck just cartwheels through my living room like a Matchbox car that somebody just chucked." [18:23]
• Jeanette on collecting evidence:
  "Honestly, why I was doing it was to grab whatever I could and put it in a safe area where I knew, like, the cops or someone could find it to know that I was there." [35:13]
• Jeanette’s strategic thinking in crisis:
  She memorizes her captor's phone number and address, gives these to the police, and provides physical evidence, leading directly to his arrest.
  Police officer: "You remember his phone number? You know it?... You're very smart." [40:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] – Lisa begins recounting the kidnapping in Lake Havasu.
• [05:25] – Lisa’s moment of escape and pleas for help.
• [11:24] – Aftermath: Lisa and friend are found and reunited.
• [15:18] – Chris’s tornado experience in Tuscaloosa begins.
• [18:08] – The tornado hits; detailed destruction recounted by Chris.
• [25:55] – Chris’s reflection and conclusion of his survival story.
• [27:45] – Jeanette’s abduction in San Jose begins.
• [30:02] – Jeanette is tied up, stuffed into a box, and witnesses her family’s assault.
• [35:09] – Jeanette’s evidence collection and moment of hope from her cousin’s news message.
• [39:23] – Jeanette escapes captivity and assists police.
• [41:32] – Aftermath, Jeanette’s attacker is convicted, and Jeanette reflects on survival and recovery.

Conclusion

This episode of Cold Case Files: I Survived delivers raw, unfiltered narratives of survival against overwhelming odds. The courage of Lisa, Chris, and Jeanette underscores the enduring human will to survive, the ways people can act resourcefully in crisis, and the profound impact of support—whether familial, law enforcement, or simply hope—in the darkest moments.

Their voices, preserved in their own words, make this episode a testament to both vulnerability and resilience, offering insight and hope for listeners facing their own struggles.